Queen and Nine Tails
by Lylan Alainn Shade
Summary: A strange creature is causing chaos in Konoha. When Naruto comes across it, he finds out that it can't just be killed. No, these take a whole different kind of person to defeat them. At the request of the Hokage, the Chiropteran Queen is summoned to Konoha to help stop them. The only question is, can Naruto work with someone who survives off of human blood?
1. Chapter 1 - The Beast

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own nothing! The characters belong to their creators, not me._

**_Chapter 1 - The Beasts_**

**_::_**

**_Konoha_**

Uzumaki Naruto was wandering through the streets of Konoha, wondering what he should do with his time. He didn't have anywhere he needed to be and he couldn't go visit any of his friends since they were lucky enough to get missions. He always supposed he could go hunt down his old sensei, Hatake Kakashi, but decided against it. That man was always reading his perverted books and it just didn't interest him. With a sigh, he decided to go to his old academy and see if there was something he could help with.

As he turned down a street that would lead to the academy, Naruto was stopped by a scream. It was coming from just ahead. Immediately fearing the worst, he broke out into a run, reaching the end of the street, stopping in horror at what he was seeing. Standing in front of him, a large ugly beast was holding onto one of Konoha's residents, its mouth sucking the life out of the poor woman. Blood dropped from the wound on her neck as the beast licked hungrily at it.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled and multiple copies of him appeared, running at the beast. It looked up as numerous kunai were thrown at it but wherever they seemed to strike, it just healed itself. Cursing, Naruto built his chakra until he had his Giant Rasangan formed and charged at the beast, striking it in its chest.

The beast howled angrily as it dropped the woman and ran from Naruto, appearing to not be hurt. What had he just encountered and what did it do to that woman? He needed answers, he needed to tell someone! Making himself move, he ran towards the Hokage Tower.

**_::_**

**_Okinawa_**

_30 years after Saya defeated Diva_

Miyagushku Kai was waiting patiently for his adopted daughters, Kanade and Hibiki to finish getting dressed. 'Any day now' he thought to himself with a slight smile on his face. He heard the girls upstairs giggling and wondered what trouble they were getting themselves into now.

After their mother, Diva, was killed over 30 years ago, Kai had agreed to watch over them and raise them right. A lot has changed since then, the world settled back into a silent peace even though the vast majority had no idea what had happened those many years go. At the age of 38, Kai had reopened his father's bar and ran it smoothly, just like his dad once did.

"Daddy, we're ready!" The voice was light and bubbly, must be Hibiki calling down to him. They were identical except for one difference, Hibiki had stunning blue eyes and Kanade had red. Other than that it was difficult to tell them apart. Save for their personalities. Hibiki was defiantly the main cause behind most of the trouble that they got themselves into whereas Kanade was more quiet and thoughtful. 'Just like Saya' he thought to himself on many occasions.

"Well get down here, we're going to be late as it is!" He yelled back up at him. They had been invited to a reunion for the members of the Red Shield and he didn't want to miss it. He was anxious to show off his daughters and introduce them to the ones who helped their aunt so long ago.

Kai kept nothing from them. He told then every detail when they became adults and surprising to him, they accepted it and both vowed to never act like their mother, Diva. No, they both aspired to be like their aunt, Saya, which made him proud.

He waited as the girls took their sweet time walking down the stairs, both still giggling. He had given up a long time ago when it came to figuring out their ways and he figured he was better for it. A smile appeared on his lips as he saw the two girls appear, finally, wearing their dresses. Everything about their outfits was identical from how they wore their hair to the jewelry they adorned themselves with. The only difference was the colors as usual. Hibiki chose to wear blue at all times and Kanade wore red. If it wasn't for the colors, he would have a difficult time from a distance.

"You both look beautiful!" He stated before shoving them out the door. They had just reached the car when Kai's phone started ringing.

"Crap!" He said and fished it out of his pocket. He instantly recognized who was calling him.

"We are on our way, David. Hibiki and Kanade took their sweet time getting ready!" He exclaimed while shooting a stern look at the still giggling girls.

"That is not why I called. We have a problem and I need you to meet me at the headquarters. Bring the girls; this will involve them as well." There was a click before Kai had a chance to respond and he looked at his phone, concerned.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Kanade said. Whenever Kai was troubled, she was usually the first to ask why.

"Slight change in plans, get in." He stated and they both did as they were told, sharing confused glances.

**_::_**

**_Konoha_**

Naruto burst through the doors leading to the Hokage's office. She was bent over her desk and when Naruto stormed in, her head shot up fast enough to give her a slight kink.

"Naruto, don't you know how to knock!" Tsunade yelled at the blond.

"No time! I just saw something bizarre and you need to know about it! I was walking through town and I came across this strange looking creature! It had attacked one of the women here and was drinking her blood! I threw kunai at it and even hit it with my Rasangan but nothing worked!" He spoke quickly, barely breathing between words.

"What?!" Tsunade didn't know if he was serious or if this was some sort of joke but by the look on his face, she knew he must be telling the truth.

"There is a weird blood drinking monster inside Konoha and it can't be killed!" Naruto yelled.

"SHIZUNE!" She yelled and watched the woman run in with Tonton in her arms.

"Go alert the ANBU right away! There is nothing we can do but I know someone who can. I just hope she can make it in time." Tsunade said, her face going paler.

"Who, Grandma Tsunade?" Naruto asked, wondering who on earth could possibly kill one of those things.

"Our only hope at stopping this." She spoke blankly before pulling out a scroll and scribbling on it. As she wrote, she began to think about the last time she heard the tale of the blood suckers. She had traveled to a distant land by ship, it was far beyond the continent that contained the ninjas. Where she went, the times were different and she was overwhelmed. While visiting this distant land known as Okinawa, she learned of a battle that had been fought. At first she didn't believe it but after being shown pictures and eventually witnessing the cocoon for herself, she became a believer. Hardly anybody from the Shinobi continent ever left to seek out the other lands and she was the first to return. She knew now that there was only one thing to do. Alert the one person on the Shinobi continent and have them summon her. That was the only option.

When she was done writing her note, she summoned her slug friend and sent her off in a flash before Naruto even knew what happened.

"Who is our last hope?" Naruto looked confused, as he should be.

"Naruto let me tell you a story about what you saw. About 30 years ago, in a distant country, a war raged between Human and Beast. These beasts were called Chiropterans. It was a good versus evil scenario and good prevailed but at a great cost. Their hero rested on the shoulders of a 180 year old teenager..." She told the story to Naruto who looked more and more shocked about what he was hearing. At first, Tsunade didn't think he would believe what she had to say but since he did witness the creature, he surprised her.

"So we need this Saya girl to come here and help us get rid of them?" He asked slowly, wrapping his head around it.

"Yes, if she is awake though. After a few year stint of being awake, she goes into a 30 year long hibernation. If my math is correct, she is due to wake up soon." Tsunade said as she became lost in thought.

"Wait, you said her sister was killed and the Chiropterans disappeared. How come they came back and how?" He asked slowly.

"Good question." She replied as she looked at him.

**_::_**

**_Okinawa_**

"How could this happen?!" Kai slammed his fist down on the table, angered by the idea of more being out there.

"I don't know. All I know is that we got word from our contact that at least one of them was spotted and we need to get there immediately. I have already given the order to pack Saya's cocoon into a shipping crate. She will wake up soon and we will need her." David spoke calmly. He had been monitoring reports for quite some time and knew that they weren't all gone.

"What do my daughters have to do with this?" He asked, trying to control his temper but failing miserably.

"They will more than likely need to help. When Saya awakens, she will need to train them." David rubbed his eyes and sighed. It had been one long day. "We will leave within the hour; there are changes of clothes for you already on the ship as well as the girls."

"Damnit." Was all Kai could say as he walked out of the office, going towards the two girls he raised for 30 years. They didn't look their age though, once they hit 16, their looks froze just like Saya and Diva.

He walked out of the building and headed for the car, the two girls following, looking anxious. He didn't want to tell them right away, he would wait until they got aboard.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Hibiki asked casually.

"We are going on a little trip, we are leaving right away." Kai hated having to lie to them but for right now, it wasn't important.

"Ok!" They both said at the same time then broke out into giggling fits.

Within minutes, they were at the shipping yard and were escorted aboard by the Red Shield agents. The girls were taken to their room while Kai was escorted to the bridge. As he walked, he saw a shipping crate that was being handled very carefully. 'Saya's in there' he told himself and inwardly cursed anyone who may harm her. She was still his sister after all.

When he reached the bridge, he shook hands with people he hadn't seen in a very long time but it was the last person he saw that finally made everything sink in.

"Haji, where have you been hiding." Kai smiled at Saya's Chevalier.

"I have been around." He answered slowly.

"I can't believe this is happening again." Kai said, shuddering at the thought.

They all fell silent as the orders to take off were given. Here they go, traveling to a part of the planet he wasn't even aware that existed, at least, not in any usual, visible way.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 1_**

* * *

_Please read and review. I know it's a little fast moving but there wasn't a whole lot I could dwell on at this point, not until our teams meet! _


	2. Chapter 2 - The Retrieval Mission

_Hey guys, ok here's what's going to happen with this story: the first chapter was exciting, fast paced and short. A lot shorter then I would have liked but at the time I was exhausted and couldn't elaborate anymore. So starting with chapter 2, the story will slow down and become detailed. The two different points of view will not be combined like in the first chapter where I switched from Okinawa to Konoha. Each point of view will now receive their own chapters as in, chapter two will be solely about Konoha then chapter three will be Red Shield and so on until the Red Shield reaches the Shinobi continent. I hope that makes sense. Also, replying to a question that was asked, I have no intentions as of yet for adding any sort of romance or pairing into this story. I am not saying that it won't happen, I just haven't thought about it so we will have to see where the story goes. Hope that helps! Thank you to those of you who have reviewed and favorite'd my story! Enjoy~_

_**Chapter 2 - The Retrieval Mission**_

_**::**_

_**Konoha**_

_**::**_

Naruto walked away from the Hokage tower slowly. What Grandma Tsunade had told him was still running through his head and he tried desperately to make sense of it. He never doubted that the Hokage was telling the truth, why would she lie? He also saw the evidence that what she said was real because he saw one of those beasts with his very own eyes, but why did he still feel like it had to be just a myth? Was there really a girl out there who looked to be his own age and yet be well over 200 years old?

How had she survived to become this old anyway? Was she a body switcher like Orochimaru was? No, that couldn't be, from how Lady Tsunade described her, she sounded too compassionate to do such a thing. Where did she come from? These questions had no answer no matter how hard he tried to make sense of them.

"Naruto!" A voice called from behind him. He snapped out of his thoughts and turned around seeing his pink haired best friend trying to catch up.

"Hi, Sakura." He said with a smile as he pushed the thoughts out of his head, at least for the time being.

"Have you heard the rumors of a wild animal running rampant in Konoha? It sounds terrifying but nobody can find it." Sakura stated when she finally caught up with him.

"Yea, I saw it." He replied. The image of what he saw sent a shiver down his spine but he decided not to tell her what he saw exactly.

"Really?! What does it look it?" Her emerald eyes were locked with his bright blue ones. He could see a mixture of fear and curiosity in her face as she waited for his answer.

"I didn't get that good of a look at it. Just a glimpse really, it was big though so try not to be out by alone, ok?" He said, feeling slightly worried that those who he cared about would become that things next victim.

"You got it!" She stated before she finally realized that Naruto wasn't acting like his usual self. Concern forming in her gut, she laid a hand on his shoulder and furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"It... it's nothing, Sakura. At least I hope it's nothing but I can't tell you about it. Grandma Tsunade said it was S-Ranked and on a need to know basis." He said slowly as he tried to smile at the obviously concerned Sakura.

"Well... alright, whatever it is I hope it isn't bad, from the look on your face though I seriously doubt it's about bunnies." Sakura replied flatly. Naruto remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.

"Want to go get some lunch? I'm starving!" He exclaimed, returning to his normal self again, much to Sakura's relief.

"I can't, I'm actually on my way to the hospital. My shift will be starting soon and I have a lot of patients to check up on." She said, sounding slightly saddened by this. She loved what she did cause she got to help people but there were times when it was such a bother.

"Alright, take it easy!" He said before turning in the opposite direction and waving. A moment later, Sakura vanished in a cloud of smoke and Cherry Blossom petals.

_**::**_

Naruto went to Ichiraku's by himself and ate slowly which was highly out of character for him. Ayame who had served him watched him with concern, knowing that he could easily scarf down at least three helpings in the amount of time it took him to eat one today. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but decided against it, knowing it could have something to do with a mission and that was none of her business.

After he was finished, Naruto decided to head over to the training grounds. He walked slowly, his hands in his pockets while deep in thought until he heard a rather loud poof, jumping slightly from being startled. Turning to look at whoever had just found him, he smiled to see his old sensei.

"The Hokage requests your presence, Naruto." Kakashi said boredly, reading his ever present perverted book.

"Ok, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said before the Copy Ninja vanished from sight. Naruto turned back and headed for the Hokage tower and the waiting Tsunade. He wondered if she had heard word back already. That would have been too quick but he decided not to question the means of communication between the continents.

_**::**_

As Naruto approached the Hokage's office, he knocked on her door and awaited her response. It was quite rare when he didn't actually barge into the office, angering Tsunade but today he felt off, so he acted mechanically.

"Come in." A female voice said through the door. He pushed it open and found Tsunade looking right at him, her hands folded together with her lips resting against them, her usual position when discussing something serious. He looked around the room and noticed Kakashi standing with his back against the wall, his nose still in his book, as well as Sakura, Sai and Yamato. As always, Yamato and Sai looked rather stone faced as they waited to hear what the Hokage had to say but Sakura looked a little puzzled. It was rare when her mentor pulled her away from her duties while treating patients.

"Good, we are all here. Now that I have everyone full attention, let me begin by saying that what is heard in this room remains between us. Absolutely nobody else is allowed to know what we discuss." She said as she leaned back in her chair, looking at each person individually. They all nodded but remained silent.

"Naruto, you know what this is about so please bear with me while I explain the situation to the others." Her eyes locked onto his and he knew what was coming. The atmosphere in the room shifted as all of their eyes looked towards the blond boy, curious about what he knew but they didn't.

"Alright, as you may know, there have been reports of a strange animal attacking people within Konoha. These reports are true, as you know, Sakura, these people have been completely drained of blood." She paused and looked around the room. Kakashi's hand that was still containing his book had now dropped to his side as he stared wide-eyed at her. Sakura's face paled as she remembered the state of the patients she had to treat and luckily managed to save. Sai and Yamato both had curious expressions.

"I will spare you all of a long explanation, if you wish to hear it, Naruto will fill you in on your mission. Now, getting back to the point, I have made contact with allies that lie far beyond the Shinobi Continent. At this very moment, they are heading straight here and should arrive within 10 days. You are tasked to travel to the Land of Water and meet them when they arrive. They come from a land that is vastly different then hours, so please do what you can to make them feel comfortable here. They will be bringing a rather large container with them and you need to make sure that the object they possess arrives in Konoha, unharmed as well as the organization. They will be arriving by ship and our contact will be expecting you." As she spoke, she had a stern, serious tone in her voice. This was nothing out of the ordinary but her honey colored eyes reflected something else. What was it exactly? Could it have been fear?

"Yes, M'lady." Sakura was the first to speak, the others only nodding their understanding. "But, who is this organization?"

"They go by the name of Red Shield. Their reason for existing is for one purpose. To protect our only hope at exterminating these beasts." Tsunade leaned forward again, in her usual fashion.

"What are they protecting?" Sakura asked slowly, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"Otonashi Saya. She _is _a weapon." Naruto was the first to speak, his tone was haunting. He looked straight at the Hokage as the others looked at him again.

"A... girl?" Sai asked, curious how a girl could defeat these beasts.

"No, not just a girl. She is a Chiropteran Queen. She _is _one of those beasts. She can create them with her blood." Naruto answered, shifting his eyes to Sai as he spoke. He didn't see Sakura's face pale even more as she heard him.

"Why do I get the feeling that this mission is going to be challenging?" Kakashi added his full attention on the task at hand.

"It will. That is why I gathered one of the best teams that Konoha has to offer. You leave immediately; each of you will have 10 minutes to gather your supplies before you are to leave. I expect Saya to arrive in Konoha as soon as possible, unharmed. If you find any of these beasts do not engage, flee from them and continue to the Land of Water. Only the Red Shield knows how to stop them, not even the most powerful Shinobi and Kunoichi alive can bring them down." Tsunade stated before dismissing them. They all nodded as a group and left her office quickly, each going to gather their items.

"Shizune, I hope I made the right choice by bringing that girl here." Tsunade said to the silent Shizune who didn't speak a word throughout the whole meeting.

"You did, M'lady. They will accomplish this task and bring them to us." She replied, hugging Tonton to her chest.

_**::**_

10 minutes later, the 5 ninjas who were assigned to the retrieval mission walked out of the gates of Konoha together before leaping into the trees. They traveled in silence for quite some time before the questions revolving around the mission got the better of Sakura and she decided to ask what she knew the others were thinking.

"Naruto, who is Saya and what is a Chiropteran?" Sakura asked slowly as she looked at her teammate.

"From what I understood when Grandma Tsunade told me about them this morning, they are monsters that feed off of human blood. If you look back in mythological tales, they are also called Vampires. Only, these monsters don't look human. They are huge, ugly beasts that will stop at nothing to kill their target. They feel no pain and can regenerate missing body parts instantly." He said slowly. The others listened intently as he spoke, not wanting to miss a detail.

"How can this Saya kill them?" Sakura asked, trying to keep him talking.

"Over 200 years ago, an explorer by the name of Joel came across a carcass of some unknown creature. He was curious about it so him and his partner, Amshel, took the body back to their base and began running studies on it. When they cut the beast open, they discovered two eggs inside its stomach and due to an accident, found out that after all that time, those eggs responded to blood. They became excited and started feeding blood to the eggs, which absorbed through the shell and soon they hated open reviewing two baby girls. One they locked away in a tower and experimented on and the other was raised by Joel as his own daughter. Saya was the girl he raised while her twin sister, Diva, was kept under lock and key. Many years later, Saya discovered Diva, she was the one to name her that, and let her out. Since then, Diva has been running free, creating Chiropterans and destroying humans out of revenge. About 30 years ago, Saya finally had the ability to stop her sister, killing her but it seems that the Chiropterans that Diva created were not completely wiped out and somehow managed to cross the ocean, arriving on our continent." Naruto spoke slowly and firmly as the others remained silent. After a little while, Sakura finally asked a question that had been bugging her.

"How does Lady Tsunade know about all of this?" Her voice was quiet, filled with curiosity.

"She traveled to the other continent years ago and ran across one of the beasts. The Red Shield saved her and she explained who she was and they in turn told her the full story." He said simply.

"How can Saya kill the beasts?" Sai asked when they fell silent again.

"Her blood and Diva's blood work negatively against each other. They are called 'Queens' since they have the ability to create Chiropterans with their blood. Anyway, because their blood doesn't mix, if it comes in contact, the mixture crystallizes before disintegrating. Diva used her blood to create monsters and Saya uses her own blood to destroy them. Her blood is the only substance that can bring them down. It's the reason we need her here." Naruto explained as he looked forward. The group continued to move quickly through the trees, heading towards their destination.

"So if Saya is the only one who can kill them, how can the Red Shield defeat them as well?" Sakura asked soon after.

"They have a stash of her blood with them at all times. Weapons coated in it does the trick." Naruto stated, wondering if they would receive any as well.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 2_**

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! #3 is coming soon, please R&R_


	3. Chapter 3 - Red Shield

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love positive feedback, it makes me more pumped to write a new chapter :3_

_**Chapter 3 - Red Shield **_

_**::**_

Kai was sitting at the end of the table, furthest from where David was currently standing silently. He had called a meeting so that he could inform the organization what has happened and what to expect. As Kai waited, he folded his hands behind his head and looked around the table. He recognized a few of the faces instantly but there were others he didn't remember. They looked young so he assumed that they were new members. Of course there was David, he had aged drastically, his once blond hair was now grey, his face containing many wrinkles. Next he looked at Lewis, he was still as chubby as ever and looked a lot older but time had been good to him. Last, he noticed Joel, the leader of Red Shield. He was no longer bound to a wheelchair, which was refreshing to see. He was the subject of an experimental procedure that would restore his feeling and allow him to walk freely again.

Next, he looked over at Julia, Saya's former doctor. She reflected her age in her long silvery hair but her face remained youthful. After Saya had gone into hibernation, Julia and David had gotten married and welcomed their only child into the world, Ella, a daughter who was sitting at the table next to Julia. She looked exactly as Julia had 30 years ago. Kai had seen her since she was born and knew she was just as brilliantly smart as both of her parents. He began thinking about how happy Julia and David were to finally have each other for good, which made him start thinking about Mao, his former girlfriend from so long ago. She too, was sitting at the table. At 48, she was still quite a beauty. Much to his surprise, a few years after Saya went into hibernation, he heard that Mao married Okamura Akihiro, the reporter who kept getting into the way when they were hunting Diva down. After things started going back to normal, they decided to travel in search of more Chiropterans which aided Red Shield drastically. Their service found them being given Red Shield agent titles.

Kai was snapped out of his thoughts when David began to speak. The quiet murmuring ceased as all eyes shifted to the man speaking.

"Alright, let's get this meeting started. We don't have alot of time to do this and there is a lot to say." He stated as he finally took his seat. Everyone remained silent as they waited for the briefing to begin.

"I can assume that you all want to know where we are going exactly, well, this is going to be challenging to explain so bear with me. Let me start with this, about 15 years ago, I was stationed in Tokyo. There were reports of a sighting and I was checking it out. One night, I heard screaming and fearing the worst, I followed the cries for help and came across a Chiropteran who had cornered a woman. I shot the thing with one of our blood bullets and it went down, crystalized and disintegrated. Luckily the woman wasn't harmed but I knew she was strange from the start. Her clothes were different and she was utterly lost in every sense.

She told me about the place she came from and at first I didn't believe her, but she managed to prove to me that she was telling the truth. She is what, from where she calls home, a Kunoichi. She told me about her land and her people. There isn't an exact name for the place she comes from; there are separate lands within the continent so I nicknamed it 'Shinobi Continent' or in other words, Ninja territory." David breathed deeply, needing a moment to catch his breath.

"The continent is made up of people who use nature's elements to use as powers in a sense. I can't explain it very well. In turn, I told her about our organization and when she returned, I sent one of our newest agents with her. He would be the contact outside of their abilities in case the time came when they would need our help. Well this day has come. Early this morning I received a call from our agent. A Chiropteran has been spotted within her village and she needs us to take care of it." David ended his speech, now allowing for questions. The room sat in silence for a few moments before Kai spoke.

"How come we never knew about this continent? It's a mass of land that has gone undetected!" He said, at a complete loss.

"Their land is protected with something called a seal. It protects people from finding it; only those who know how to get to it can find it." David replied, lacing his fingers together.

"So you know how to get in?" Mao asked slowly, her arms were wrapped around Akihiro's arm loosely.

"Yes, I do. Tsunade told me how to do it." He said as his eyes closed.

"How exactly are we supposed to find her?" Lewis chipped in as he stuffed another chip into his mouth.

"She sent a group of her ninjas to wait for us. They will lead us back." David said slowly.

"Do they know about Saya?" Kai asked after the room fell silent again.

"Tsunade does yes, if she told anyone else I have no idea." David sighed before standing up. "We will be arriving at the continent in about a day. Please prepare yourselves for this, take any weapons you can fit into your bags and wear sensible clothes and shoes. Their land is lacking in a lot of modern conveniences such as vehicles for instance." He began to walk towards the door, feeling tired.

"So is the meeting over?" Kai asked, standing up as well.

"Yes, I need to lie down." David replied before leaving the room. "Oh, and one more thing, Tsunade told me that there are some who look really different. Do not stare."

Everyone sat still for a few moments before the soft murmuring started. Kai walked out of the room, suddenly needing air.

_**::**_

Kai stood on the bow of the ship, everything from the meeting playing over and over in his head. 'I thought that ninjas were only in movies! How can there be an entire civilization of these people and we never knew about it?' he asked himself. With his hands in his pockets, he looked out over the open ocean and imagined what would soon happen. With a sigh, he made his way to the cargo hold on the ship and spotted the crate containing Saya. 'She should be waking up soon' he mused before spotting Haji sitting in a chair next to it, playing his Cello softly to her.

"Hi, Haji." Kai said as he walked over. The last time he heard that song, Saya was still awake. It was just before her final battle with Diva. That night, they had all thought that Haji had been lost in the fight but a few years later, Kai noticed that things were appearing near Saya's resting place.

"Kai." Haji said in his monotone. When they had first met, Haji thought that Kai was like any other teenager. Annoying and would only get in the way, but as he continued to believe in and aid Saya in her goal, never stopping once in his promise to always protect her, he had grown to respect Kai.

"Can you tell if she's any closer to waking up?" Kai asked as he sat down on the floor.

"She is closer. I am playing for her so that she knows I am here." Haji replied as he stopped the song.

"I want to talk to her again; I have missed her a lot." Kai stated. He wasn't lying either, he always thought of her as his sister and he had grown to love her as one. He really did miss seeing her smile.

"You can go in, she can hear you." Haji stated as he stood up and opened the shipping crate. It wasn't large but it was big enough for the two of them to step inside and gaze upon the glowing red cocoon that contained the sleeping Saya.

Stepping up to the cocoon, Kai hesitantly placed his hand on it. As soon as he touched it, the glow began to pulse and he could feel her heartbeat.

"Hi, Saya. We are all missing you a lot, especially me and Haji. You need to wake up soon so we can catch you up on everything that has happened." Kai spoke softly as he talked to her. With every word he spoke, the glow pulsed more and more, soon making him realize that she could in fact hear him.

As Kai fell silent, his hand still on the cocoon, Haji stepped forward and did the same thing. For a moment, they both stood there, touching the object that contained their precious Saya.

"Hello, Saya. As I promised, I never left you. When you wake up I will be here to help you regain your memories so that you don't have the confusion that you had the last time." Haji stated. He wasn't one for smiling but Kai thought he caught a glimpse of one on the Chevalier's lips.

"I remember the last time I was with her when she fell asleep. We were having a party when she told me she felt it was time. I took her on my motorcycle to the family mausoleum. She wanted me to take her past the ocean, which I did. That smile has always stayed with me." Kai said as he remembered his sister, when she was finally back to being herself.

"Saya formed a bond with you, Riku and George. She was truly happy when she was with your family and I know she was happy that you said you will be here for her when she woke up." Haji said. He hardly every spoke this much but in the presence of Saya, he felt himself feeling happier than he had been.

**_::_**

"We're almost there." David said as he looked through his binoculars at the land that lay ahead. Kai was standing at his left, Julia on his right.

"I'll go let the others know." Julia said softly as she turned and walked towards the door that would lead to the room where the other Red Shield members were waiting patiently.

"Did Haji say when he anticipates Saya to wake up?" David asked as he dropped the Binoculars to his side.

"He said she isn't quite there yet but she should wake within three days." Kai stated as he watched the land grow closer.

"Good. We can't travel very far with a shipping crate. We will have to wait aboard the ship until she wakes up." David said as he nodded.

"Yea and I doubt Haji would let her go that far anyway without her being aware of what's going on." Kai sighed and looked out over the water. He was deep in thought when he suddenly heard him being called.

"Daddy!" Hibiki squealed as she ran towards Kai and David, Kanade trailing closely behind.

"Hi, girls. We are almost there, I can't wait to step foot back on ground again." Kai said with a smile on his face.

"Is aunt Saya really going to wake up soon?" Hibiki asked, her blue eyes reflecting excitement.

"I certainly hope so." He said, wrapping his arms around each of the girls' shoulders.

"I hope she likes us." Kanade said softly.

"I am sure she will. Before she went into hibernation she used to hold you both all the time." He thought about the picture he took of Saya just before she fell asleep, both girls in her arms, a big grin on all three of their faces. He kept that picture in his wallet at all times. Remembering it was in there, he pulled it out and showed it to them, they had seen it before but they loved to look at it. "See? She was happy when she was holding you both."

"She looks so much like us, I wonder if she has changed at all..." Kanade mused as she took the picture in her hands. She shared red eyes with her aunt while Hibiki shared blue with their mother.

"We're here." The three of them turned and looked at David as he watched the ship pull into port.

Moments later, the four of them jumped with surprise, Hibiki and Kanade both slid their arms around Kai, squeaking simultaneously as five people appeared in front of them instantly. Kai stepped back with his daughters as David stood where he was, a smile appearing across his face. He looked entertained.

"Are you the Red Shield?" A tall man with white hair stated. He had a mask pulled up half way on his face while a headband of some sort covered his left eye.

"Yes, I am David, assistant leader of Red Shield. This is Kai; he is the guardian of Saya." David motioned towards them, pointing at Kai. "These two young girls are Hibiki and Kanade."

As their names were mentioned, Hibiki was the first to venture closer, smiling widely as she approached the three younger looking ones. They looked to be about as young as she appeared.

"Hi! I am Hibiki and the quiet one over there is my twin, Kanade! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Hibiki clasped her hands together behind her back, her long black hair blowing slightly from the wind. Kanade remained silent, still clinging to Kai, just looking at the other people. "She's shy, don't mind her."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I am Hatake Kakashi, this is Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Sai and Yamato." Kakashi motioned to each one individually, returning the smile that Hibiki gave him even though she couldn't see.

"Why is your face covered? Are you ugly?" Hibiki stepped closer to Kakashi, leaning forward slightly. Naruto let out a laugh while the others suppressed a smile. Kai looked horrified.

"Hibiki! Don't be so rude, I taught you better than that!" Kai said firmly, embarrassed that this would be their first impression, the one that would be remembered.

"It's quite alright, I've heard worse. And no, I am not ugly, this is what my clan wears." Kakashi stated, smiling again.

"Ok!" She skipped over to the others, standing in front of Sakura.

"I love your hair! Pink is a pretty color! You're my new best friend!" Hibiki stated as she quickly linked her arm around Sakura's, much to the pinkettes shock.

"Um, ok?" Sakura squeaked out as the black haired girl pulled her away from the group.

"Hibiki! Stop being rude." Kai said as he slapped a hand to his forehead.

After watching her sister act so carefree, Kanade decided to try and represent the organization a little better. She stepped forward and let a smile grace her face, her reddish-brown eyes glinting in the sunlight.

"Hello, forgive my sister, she gets excited easily." Kanade bowed before walking closer to the other ninja and looked them over, her head tilting to the side slightly.

"It's quite alright, Sakura will be fine." Naruto said as he grinned, scratching the back of his hand.

"She's waking up!" A should came from one of the newer Red Shield members as he appeared at the door leading to the cargo hold.

"Shit! I need to go, I want to be there!" Kai stated before turning on his heel and running to the other agent, disappearing from sight. Kanade watched her father vanish before turning to the others, her eyes wide, and her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Who's waking up?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the young girl.

"Aunt Saya." She said quietly before running towards Hibiki who was too preoccupied with jabbering at Sakura.

"Hibiki! Its aunt Saya! Let's go!" Kanade ran towards the door that Kai had gone through, a squealing Hibiki on her tail.

"Did she say aunt?" Sakura asked as she returned to her team. "I thought you said Saya had no real family." She looked at Naruto who looked as shocked.

"No, actually she has two blood nieces. Hibiki and Kanade are in fact the daughters of Saya's deceased sister, Diva." David replied slowly, looking at the shocked ninjas.

_**::**_

_**End Chapter 3**_

_Well that's the end of Chapter 3! Chapter 4 coming soon! R&R_


	4. Chapter 4 - Awake

_Chapter 4 is here! I know I am updating these chapters quickly but it won't last long, I have just had a burst of creativity and I'm using it while I can! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You are all awesome!_

_**Chapter 4 - Awake**_

_**::**_

"Looks like you all came just in time. Shall we?" David said as he turned towards the way Kai and the girls had disappeared and started walking. "No time like the present to meet our Saya."

The five ninjas followed behind David, all thinking the same thing. 'What is Saya like?' David led them down into the depths of the cargo hold and towards the back where her crate was sitting open. A soft red glow was emanating from within, causing the leaf ninja to grow tense. They could see the two young girls watching from just outside the door, Hibiki nearly bouncing with joy while Kanade hid behind her sister.

"David, get over here, she's coming out!" Kai's voice was heard, causing the elderly man to pick up his pace. Soon they were all standing just outside, staring at the rapidly pulsing, glowing cocoon. A crack could be seen splitting down the front while a tall man in a suit with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail stood right beside it, watching intently.

The room grew silent, nobody even breathed loudly as they watched fingers slide through the crack followed by a slender arm. Sakura clasped her hand to her mouth as Naruto, Sai and Yamato stared, wide-eyed at the scene in front of them. Kakashi lifted his headband and was using his Sharingan as he watched, hands clasped together.

Another arm appeared and forced the cocoon to open more followed by what looked like a head with very long, black hair. The head looked up at the group, glowing red eyes trained on them as a whole.

"Stay back! She shouldn't attack but if she does, it will be me!" Haji yelled as Kai stepped back to the door, not taking his eyes off of his sister.

The group collectively gasped as they watched a slender pale figure slip through the crack in the cocoon, instantly ending the red glow that was once lighting the room. The figure fell to the floor, supporting herself on her hands and knees and started crawling towards the entrance but the tall man in the suit intervened and picked the girl up in his arms bridal style. Her head shot up as she looked at him, her eyes still glowing, as she sniffed the air. Parting her lips in a half grin, she moved her mouth to the man's neck and bit down on his neck, beginning her awakening feast.

Sakura stumbled backwards; she had not expected this at all. She bumped into Naruto who protectively stepped in front of her. She continued to peek over his shoulder as she watched the girl now lift her head up. The glowing in her eyes was gone and she looked stone faced. Suddenly she slid from the man's arms and stood on her feet, arms covering her bare chest. As she looked up at him, a soft smile made its way across her lips.

"Haji?" She asked softly and smiled more when he nodded. She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She thought he had died when she killed Diva and was excited to see him alive.

"Saya?" That voice... could it really be? Saya looked up at who had spoken, her eyes widening with recognition.

"Kai?" She asked before stumbling over to him, pulling him into the same hug she had given Haji. "Oh Kai, I am so happy to see you!" Her eyes were tearing up as she pulled away from him, taking in how much older he looked.

"I'm so happy to see you as well, Saya. I've missed you a lot! You might want to put this on though." Kai handed her a sundress that she quickly slid over herself when she realized she was naked, her cheeks turning red.

"Aunt Saya?" It was Hibiki who spoke, stepping next to Kai. The minute Saya looked at the girl and her blue eyes; she screamed and nearly fell over.

"Saya! Stop, don't worry, it's just Hibiki. You remember her right? Last time you saw her she was a baby." Kai said slowly as he stepped in front of the confused girl.

"Hibiki...?" Saya said softly before looking behind the girl and seeing another who looked just like her. "Kanade?" Both girls nodded with smiles on their faces.

"You both look so grown up!" Saya stood up and moved over to them quickly, pulling them both into a hug. "Last time I saw you, you were both just infants!" She planted a soft kiss on each of their foreheads before pulling away, tears still in her eyes.

"Hello, Saya." She looked past her family and looked at the man who had spoken. "Is that you David?" She recognized his voice but he was an old man now.

"Yes it's me, Saya." Much to his surprise, she rushed over to him and hugged him. She had never been this way around him but she was so happy to see people she used to fight with.

"Saya, there is something we need to tell you, or rather, quite a few something's." David said as he held her away from him, his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her sternly.

That was when she looked over his shoulder and noticed the group of unfamiliar, strange looking people standing behind him.

"What's going on?" Her face registered confusion as David slid am arm around her shoulders and walked her out of the Cargo hold. "Come, we have more people who are anxious to see you." The others followed behind, first Haji and Kai then the girls. The Leaf Ninja following last as they tried to make sense of what they had just seen.

_**::**_

The rest of the Red Shield agents sat patiently in the meeting room as they waited for news. They had no idea that Saya had woken up so needless to say when she walked through the door, they nearly fell out of their chairs. She stood there for a moment looking at them, wearing nothing but a light blue sundress, her black hair falling nearly to the floor, looking nervous.

"Oh my kami! Saya look at your hair! We need to get that cut!" Mao was the first to speak as she shot from her seat and ran over to her. It took a moment for Saya to recognize her but once she started talking about fashion, she smiled softly.

"Hi Mao." Saya said as she let the woman pull her over to a seat and plop her down as she began to run a pocket brush she kept in her purse through her hair. Akihiro looked rather put out as his wife who usually paid all of her attention to him was now focused on someone else.

As the rest of them came into the room and found seats, the Leaf Ninja preferring to stand, David went through the events of what the Red Shield has been doing during her hibernation. She sat quietly as she took in the information, the girls sitting on each side of her, holding onto each of her hands.

During the de-briefing, Naruto watched how Saya reacted to the information and how she gingerly communicated with her now grown up nieces. The three of them looked so similar, even the same age. When she said that she hadn't seen them since they were babies and she just now woke up after a 30 year hibernation, he put her nieces to someone around the age of 31.

When David was done, Saya remained quiet for a while, all eyes trained on her.

"So... we are now at this Shinobi Continent?" She asked slowly, eyes on the two hands within her own.

"Yes, after you are ready for travel, we will leave the ship and follow these ninja's back to their village where Tsunade awaits us." David said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Alright then, Kai, I'd like you to cut my hair to how it used to be. When it's done I will be ready. It is my responsibility to clean up after my sister's mess." She stated surely, if one of those made it here, who knew how many more care with it.

"Of course, Saya." He stood up and waited for Saya to stand. When she did, they walked out of the room, his arm around her shoulders. "We will be right back."

_**::**_

After about 20 minutes of silence, the door opened and all eyes turned towards Saya. It was as if they had gone into the past. Her hair was the same severely short length it had been those many years ago and she was wearing her reddish-purple overcoat, white tank top and yellow skirt as well as her knee high boots that matched her overcoat. Her cheeks turned pink as she realized that everyone was staring at her.

"I'm ready." She said quietly as she folded her hands in front of herself. Her personality was slowly returning to the girl that they had all remembered.

"Well let's get going! Grandma Tsunade is waiting!" Naruto was the first to speak, in fact this was the first time he has spoken since they first arrived and it was about time he said something. As he spoke, he had his characteristic grin on his face with his hands on his hips. Saya looked at him with wide eyes before smiling and looking at the ground. He reminded her so much of Riku, his memory tugged at her heart.

"Before anyone goes anywhere, we need to assign a group to go back to the village. We can't all go. It will be I, Saya of course, Kai, Haji, Lewis and Julia. Everyone else needs to stay here." David ordered to his team.

"No! We want to go! We want to spend time with aunt Saya!" Hibiki protested, Kanade nodding in agreeable.

David looked at them sternly and was about to object but Saya cut him off.

"Let them come, they are my only blood family and I want them close." She said softly as the two girls ran to her sides.

"Alright, fine. Kai, you need to keep an eye on them." David said before leaving the room, followed by the others.

After 10 minutes everyone who would be going back to Konoha had their things packed and were waiting eagerly.

"Kakashi, this is where we leave the orders to you." David said as he stepped back beside Kai and Saya, allowing the copy ninja to give those orders.

"Thank you, David, the travel will be slow going since you cannot all travel with the speed that we have. I will assign escorts to each of you just in case something happens." He said as he looked at everyone. "David you're with me. Yamato will watch over Julia. Sai will take Lewis, Naruto will have Kai and our Sakura will watch over Saya. As for Hibiki and Kanade, we will all watch over them." He eyed the two girls with a raised eyebrow.

"I call Sakura as well! She's my best friend, remember!" Hibiki was quickly at Sakura's side, clinging to her arm much to the annoyance of the pinkette.

"I want to stay with daddy..." Kanade said as she walked to his side. She felt much safer as with him.

Haji didn't say anything, he wasn't assigned a guard since he had already spoken with Kakashi privately and informed him of his abilities which seemed to satisfy Kakashi.

_**::**_

Soon, the large group found themselves walking away from the dock towards the outskirts of the small shipping town. At first they were silent but the silence got to Naruto and he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Well this has gotten boring! The rest of you are acting like we are in a funeral procession!" He explained as he walked with his hands behind his head.

"Naruto you idiot! Show some respect will ya!" Sakura shouted at him effectively sending a chakra filled punch into the back of his head, knocking him into the ground.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Hibiki squeaked as she began to giggle madly and hug the angered pinkette. Saya stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the scene in front of her, unsure of what to do. She had never seen this kind of treatment to one's own friends before and it completely floored her.

"Sakura, Naruto, enough!" Kakashi ordered as he pulled the dazed blond to his feet. "We need to be more professional then that. You two should know better."

"Yes sensei." They both said together before the group started walking again. Much to Sakura's surprise, Saya caught up with her and spoke to her softly.

"Why did you strike your friend?" Her reddish-brown eyes were looking at her with genuine curiosity.

"If you've known him as long as I have, you would be tempted to do that as well." Sakura said as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I've never seen that before... where I come from people are more serious, at least when they are around me." Saya stated as she looked at her hands. She looked up at Sakura when she felt a light hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it so much, we are different here, yes, but everyone is so different you will fit in nicely! I wonder if you can learn jutsus..." Sakura let her hand fall from Saya's shoulder as she slid deep into thought. On the other side of Sakura, she could see her niece Hibiki still clinging to the strange pink-haired girl. With a slight giggle she slowed her pace a bit and scooted closer to the one known as Naruto.

"Are you alright?" She said as she looked up at the blond boy.

"Oh yea, I'm just fine. She does that all the time so I've gotten used to it!" He shot a toothy grin at the girl. "I hope you like it here, while we try to get rid of those Chiropterans I want you to feel at home with us!" He stated as he gave her a thumps up. Saya couldn't help but to smile as she realized just how nice these new people were. Back in Okinawa a lot of people were rude and wouldn't give her a second glance. If they knew what she was and what she could do, the governments would fight over her to experiment on.

"I hope so... how many here know about me exactly?" She asked as she looked up at him again.

"Well there are us here, our Hokage and her assistant, Shizune. That's about it I think!" He said as he looked back at her, noticing her look of anxiousness. "Hey, don't get worried now, everyone has something special they can do, you'll fit in, I promise!" He said, trying to cheer her up. Was she always this sad looking? He made a mental note to ask someone when she wasn't around.

Haji walked behind Saya, keeping his eye on her as he carried his Cello case across his back. It looked heavy but it wasn't that bad for him, he was used to traveling with it. He listened to her as she talked with the ninjas and smiled to himself at how nice they were to her. At first he was unsure about letting her come all the way here but now he didn't feel so insecure about it.

"How long is this walking supposed to take, anyway?" Kai asked as he placed his hands behind his head, much as Naruto was doing now. Saya giggled as she noticed how similar they were acting.

"It should take about a week to get back to Konoha. The Hokage will be expecting us." Kakashi stated as he walked, his nose back in his perverted book.

"Naruto, what is he reading so intently?" Saya asked, finally noticing the book.

"Oh... that... heh, well you don't want to know... it would seriously stain your brain." Naruto stated as he looked at her sheepishly. He smirked when he saw a blush rise in her cheeks after a moment when she fully understood what he was talking about.

"Oh!" She said as she averted her eyes.

"If you want to get back quicker, we could always travel with our speed but I doubt half of you could keep up. I know Haji could from what he says." Kakashi said, tucking his book away in his pouch. 'Later my precious, later' he said mentally to his book.

"Shit!" Sakura shouted, startling more than half of the group. She ran to the side of the road and sat on the ground, all eyes on her. She bit her thumb causing it to bleed before doing her summoning Jutsu. Moments later, Katsuyu appeared in front of her.

"What the hell is that thing?" Kai yelled as he jumped back. Hibiki and Kanade both screamed and hid behind Kai as Saya backed up into Haji, shivering.

"Hello, Lady Sakura, what can I do for you?" Katsuyu asked, causing Lewis to faint.

"It talks?! Kai said in disbelief.

Ignoring the peanut gallery at her side, Sakura scribbled a note and stuck it to the slug. "Please make sure Lady Tsunade gets this immediately! I should have sent this long ago." Sakura said softly.

"Yes, Lady Sakura!" With a poof, the slug vanished. Rolling her eyes, Sakura walked over to Lewis and filled her hand with green chakra, running it over his head bringing him out of his unconsciousness. During the whole episode, David and Julia had remained quiet as they watched with amusement.

"That was just Katsuyu, my summon. I needed to let Lady Hokage that we were on our way and when to expect us." Sakura explained as she returned to the group, attracting her Velcro-like charge. Hibiki smiled at her with a giggle.

"Oh Sakura, you're the coolest!" She stated happily as they began to walk again. 'This is going to be a very long mission...' Sakura thought to herself.

_**::**_

_**End Chapter 4**_

_I hope you enjoyed this first meeting! So far everyone is getting along but it's only been one day hehe. R&R. Anyway, three chapters in one day! I am beat, I will try to post some more in a few days! Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5 - In Konoha

_Hello everyone! Thank you all for your reviews and messages! I love hearing feedback! I have been seeing a common question though regarding Saya and Naruto. Will they end up together? Well, I haven't thought that far ahead yet so only time will tell! I plan on keeping this story going for as long as I can so we will see how they develop as teammates and friends ~winks~_

**_Chapter 5 - In Konoha_**

**_::_**

"Finally!" Naruto shouted as the gate of Konoha loomed ahead. They had been walking at a rather slow pace for about five days now and he was getting restless. Traveling with a large group was bad enough but considering about half of them couldn't move with speed made it a lot worse.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled from behind him, sending a fist towards his head for the umpteenth time during their walk back. Luckily for him however, he managed to duck in time and grinned widely as he watched as her fist continued forward, colliding with Kai.

"Do you two ever stop fighting?" Kai asked, looking over at the pink and blonde, a gleam of irritation in his eyes. Saya, who was walking on the other side of Kai looked over at the two as well, suppressing a giggle. She liked these ninja; they were really nice and very odd in their behavior.

"Saku..." Hibiki's voice nearly whined from behind Sakura. The pinkette turned her head and looked at the girl, forcing a smile on her face. "Yes Hibiki?" Sakura asked softly, masking her irritation that she had been trying to hide for a few days now. The girl was sweet and bubbly but also almost annoying as Naruto at times.

"Don't hit daddy, that wasn't nice." She said with a pout on her face as she liked her arms with her favorite pink haired friend.

"I'm sorry, Hibiki, I didn't mean to. Naruto ducked and I didn't have time to stop." Sakura explained, sighing inwardly as her Velcro buddy attached herself once more.

"Ok!" She stated and smiled before turning her attention back to Kanade, whom she had been having a rather heated debate over who they thought, was the cutest out of the group. Haji who had been walking behind them watched the two near copies of Saya interact with the others, only speaking when someone asked him something directly.

Sai was walking close to Saya on her other side; his nose stuffed in one of his emotions books, as he tried to figure out the new personalities. Every so often he would pipe up about something that didn't make one bit of sense, receiving a shooting glare from Sakura and Naruto before falling silent and continue with his reading. Kakashi and Yamato were in the middle of their own discussion at the head of the group though they spoke low enough that majority of the ones following couldn't hear what was being said. As for the rest, the long walk was tiresome so they didn't really speak, just inwardly begged for their destination to get closer.

"Oh sweet, sweet Hidden Leaf!" Naruto exclaimed as they finally walked through the gate and the smell of ramen wafted his way, though he seemed to be the only one who could smell it. "Ichiraku's! Here I come!" he cried out but before he could make it far, Sakura snagged the collar of his jacket and yanked him back forcefully. "Not until we speak with the Godaime." She stated as she pulled him along. He gave an irritated sigh before crossing his arms.

Saya watched the two skirmish again but looked away when she noticed the five faces of people carved into a mountain side. The smells and sounds of this village piqued her curiosity as she walked with her hands down at her sides. Haji had stepped closer to her now even though she had Kai next to her.

The large, odd group received many raised eyebrows as they passed, clearly the clothing and looks of the unfamiliar faces attracting the most attention. Hibiki and Kanade however looked with wide eyes at the sights before them, never having seen something like this place before. As they approached the Hokage Tower, David became more alert, suppressing the nerves overseeing the Kunoichi from so long ago. Slowly, they filed into the tower and walked up the stairs until they finally stopped before a set of oak doors.

Kakashi reached out and knocked firmly, causing an echo through the tower.

"What!" A gruff but feminine voice shot through the door, causing the others who weren't used to it to flinch. Kakashi reached for the handle and pushed, swinging the door open, exposing a fairly large, paper-cluttered office. An older blonde was sitting at her desk, head bent over something, obviously concentrating.

"Lady Hokage, we have returned." Kakashi stated as he lead the large group of people into her office. Her head shot up, unfocused eyes looking at them before she remembered what he was talking about.

"Good!" Tsunade said as she stood up and walked around her desk, moving towards the group. Sakura was the last one into the room, shutting the door so that nothing could be heard. "I take it you ran into no trouble?" She asked as she looked at Kakashi.

"No ma'am. Travel was easy going." He stated before walking to the other side of the room, taking out his book and cracking it open, leaning against a wall.

Yamato and Sai moved away as well, now standing closer to the desk while Naruto and Sakura walked to the other side of the desk, watching Tsunade survey the others.

Tsunade looked each one over, her honey colored eyes falling on each one. The room fell quiet as she placed her hands on her hips. Everyone's eyes were on her, watching the very intimidating woman closely. Finally her eyes stopped on Saya, causing the blond to smile slightly.

"I take it you know of our situation?" Tsunade finally asked as she kept her eyes on Saya.

"Yes, ma'am, and I want to help in any way that I can!" Saya stated, going into her professional tone.

"Good." She turned around, walked back to her desk and leaned with her tush against the edge. She crossed her legs at the ankles then crossed her arms just under her large chest, making them look even more prominent.

"SHIZUNE!" Tsunade bellowed out, moments later the door burst open and a meek looking woman came in, clutching a pet pig to her chest.

"Yes, M'Lady?" She asked as she made her way to the front of the group, not taking time to stop and look at them.

"How many vacant apartments do we have currently?" Tsunade asked, looking towards the woman.

"I believe we have 3 available." Shizune stated after thinking for a moment.

"Alright, we need to establish sleeping arrangements for the time being. Let's pair up." Tsunade stated.

"I and Julia will take one." David stated as he watched the woman who seemed to have overlooked his presence. He watched as Tsunade nodded once, looking at the others.

"I want to stay with my new best friend!" Hibiki added as she bounced over to Sakura who had begun to curse inwardly. Tsunade looked at Sakura, raising an eyebrow.

"As long as Sakura is fine with it." Tsunade stated, watching her apprentice force a smile. "Sure, why not..." the pinkette squeaked out.

"I want to stay with my sister." Kanade said as she walked over to the two, causing Hibiki to squeal. Sakura paled as she was suddenly becoming their babysitter. "Yay..." she managed to say as Tsunade suppressed a laugh.

"Well then, if one of the apartments has two bedrooms, I will share with Lewis." Kai added with a shrug. Lucky for them, they would receive the only 2 bedroom available.

"That leaves Saya and Haji." Tsunade counted and watched the girl in question blush slightly.

"I require no sleep, I will remain with Saya." Haji stated as he stepped closer to her.

"Good then. Shizune, take them to their new homes. Sakura, I will order another bed for your spare room. You have all traveled quite a distance so I will leave this at it is for now. Tomorrow afternoon I expect each of you to return so we can go over our plans." Tsunade stated as she walked around her desk and took her seat. "Dismissed." She said before turning around in her chair to look out the window.

The group shuffled out of the room and stood outside, waiting for the orders for what to do next.

"David, Julia, Kai, Lewis, Saya, and Haji. You come with me; Sakura will take Hibiki and Kanade. Everyone else is free to go." Shizune ordered as she looked over her clipboard. Almost immediately, Kakashi vanished in a poof of white smoke while Yamato and Sai leapt onto the nearest roofs, heading towards their own homes. Saya watched in amazement, not having ever seen people who could move as fast, if not faster than Chiropterans.

Naruto walked over to Sakura with his hands behind his head, a grin on his face. "Need help?" He asked, referring to her new charges. Sakura shot him a glare before her eyes softened and she reluctantly nodded. They turned towards Sakura's apartment and walked off, the two black haired twins walking between them. Shizune led the others off in the direction of another building.

**_::_**

"There is so much pink!" Hibiki squealed as they entered Sakura's apartment. Moments later, a few men arrived carrying a new bed and at Sakura's orders, they hauled it into her spare room, creating another sleeping area. Once they left, Sakura and Naruto made the bed together while the two girls sat on the other, watching.

"Are you two in love?" Hibiki asked innocently, eyes with curiosity. Sakura nearly lost her balance while Naruto's head shot up from where he was tucking in the sheet corner.

"Hell no!" Sakura said first, setting her jaw at the dumb question.

"Seems like it, you two are always arguing and people who love each other fight a lot." Hibiki replied, smirking at the reaction her question received.

"Not always." Naruto replied as he grew uncomfortable with the prying. As soon as they were done, he left the room, followed quickly by Sakura then the twins. "I need some fresh air. Sakura, what do you say we show them around Konoha?" Naruto asked as he walked to the door. Actually that sounded like a good idea so Sakura agreed.

Moments later they found themselves on the street walking towards the areas they knew some of their friends would be at. As if to confirm their hopes, a loud but deep bark echoed from somewhere behind them. Hibiki immediately clung to Sakura's arm while Kanade clung to her sister. They all turned around and saw a large white dog bounding at them with a man riding its back.

"Hey there Kiba, Akamaru!" Naruto said as the white dog stopped a few feet away, panting slightly.

"Hi Naruto. Who are they?" He asked as he looked towards the two unfamiliar girls now trying to hide behind Sakura.

"These are Hibiki and Kanade, my newest charges." Sakura stated dryly as she pulled them out from behind her. They stared at Kiba who was smiling at them then towards the large dog. Hibiki was the first to speak.

"That dog is huge!" She said in amazement, Akamaru returned with a bark.

"We are just showing them around Konoha." Sakura said with a sigh before trying to break the hold they each now had on her arms.

"I'll join you." Kiba said as Akamaru stepped to the side of Naruto. As a group they walked down the street, talking about various subjects while the two girls refrained from speaking a lot. This place was so weird. They met a girl who fainted when Naruto waved at her, another blonde girl who seemed like a young version of Mao and a strange boy who kept his face hidden. He was talking to a beetle when they passed him.

At some point, Kiba and Akamaru went their own way, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone with the twins. They were about to head towards the park when two green looking things came running at them at a great speed, leaving trails of dust in the air behind them. The four of them jumped to the side of the road before the two green clad guys stopped in front of them. Needless to say, their appearance and behavior took the twins by surprise, both hiding behind Sakura and Naruto.

Gai and Lee both leaned forward, their hands on their hips as they tried to get a better look at the girls.

"Who do we have here?" Gai asked in his too cheery of a tone.

Sakura and Naruto stepped aside, exposing the two dark haired, pale skinned girls. They looked up at the green fashion disasters with wide eyes. Even their haircuts were the same. Were they related?

"Oh Gai-Sensei! They are beautiful!" Lee stated as little hearts appeared in his eyes.

"Yes they are Lee! What are your names?" Gai asked, leaning forward again.

"Hibiki and Kanade." Sakura stated after realizing that they weren't going to speak. They tried to hide behind Sakura again but she wouldn't let them.

"Wonderful, youthful names! Lee let's do 300 laps around the village in honor of their youthfulness!" Gai cried and before they knew it, the green fools took off, leaving a trail of dust.

Looking at their shocked and concerned faces, Sakura smiled and turned back to the road. "Don't worry, they are about as weird as anyone gets here." She stated as Naruto and the twins followed her.

**_::_**

Saya had decided to go for a walk and get to know her new home. Haji followed closely behind her as they walked the streets, looking at everything. A lot has happened since she had woken up and she was sure there was a lot more that would come.

As she walked beside Haji, they remained in a comfortable silence. He was carrying his Cello case as usual and she wanted to hear him play for her again. She was about to ask him when she saw her nieces yell her name and come running towards her. She smiled softly at them as they attached themselves to her, noticing a tired looking Sakura following behind. Naruto had said bye when he smelled Ichiraku's again, leaving Sakura to follow them twins.

"How are you liking Konoha, so far?" The pinkette asked her softly, looking noticeably exhausted.

"It's a nice place, I will enjoy being here." Saya replied as she tried to peel the twins off of her. Sakura smirked as she watched Saya's futile attempts, knowing full well that they were a lot stronger then they looked.

"I'll show you around if you like." Sakura offered, which much to her surprise Saya accepted.

"Is there a park here?" Saya asked after a little while, looking over at the young girl.

"Sure, we have one in the middle of the village." Sakura stated as she led them towards the park. It was a nice day so a lot of the villagers were there. In the distance, Sakura spotted Hinata lying in the grass and decided to lead them over to her. They were about a few hundred feet away when Saya stopped dead in her tracks, becoming alert. She grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her back behind them and whispered to her.

"I can feel one, its close by. Take Hibiki and Kanade and hide!" Sakura's eyes widened but she obeyed, sliding her arms around each of their waists and employed her strength, jumping up into a tree where they would be hidden. They kept quiet as they watched below.

"Sword." Saya stated as Haji produced a long sword from within his Cello case. Saya pulled it out of its sheath and walked forward, moments later a piercing beastly roar erupted from ahead. Sakura watched as Hinata's head snapped up, fear written on her face. Hinata jumped to her feet and began running away but moments later a large ugly beast was chasing her. It swiped one of its large paw like hands at her, hitting her in her side leaving gashes that began to bleed. Sakura refrained from screaming, knowing Saya wouldn't want attention drawn to them.

Saya ran towards the best silently, her back turned towards Sakura and the twins. Haji remained where he was standing, watching the scene unfolds. Saya got closer to the beast that roared at her in turn, charging at her. With a swift move, Saya launched herself into the air and landed on the beasts shoulders, driving her sword down into the head of the creature. Sakura could see a line of red going down the middle and assumed that was the blood chute that Naruto had explained. Moments later the beast shrieked before it began to turn into a stone with red cracks running through its body. Saya withdrew her blade and jumped to the ground, now facing Sakura. Her breath caught as she saw the girls eyes glowing a bright red, a strange, murderous look on her face. With a swift kick, the now stone looking creature shattered into numerous pieces at Saya's feet.

Sakura dropped from the tree with the twins, letting go of them instantly before running into the open space towards the bleeding Hinata.

"Hinata!" Sakura cried as she sat down next to her, molding her green chakra into her hands and began to heal the deep gashes. She wasn't aware of Saya, Haji and the twins approach her, watching her as she healed her friend. They had never seen something like this before, and they couldn't take their eyes off of Sakura's hands that were glowing green.

"I need to get her to the hospital. She's lost a lot of blood." Sakura said in her medical-nin tone. Standing up, she reached down to pick her up but much to her surprise, Haji had already scooped Hinata up into his arms.

"Alright, let's go." Sakura turned and ran out of the park, the other four following behind her. A few minutes later, Hinata was being rushed into a treatment room, Sakura right by her side, leaving Saya, Haji, Hibiki and Kanade in the waiting room, all hoping the girl would make it.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 5_**

* * *

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was fun to write. Chapter 6 will be coming soon!_


	6. Chapter 6 - Blood

_I'd like to start by thanking everyone who left reviews! In reply to one review, yes I am aware that theoretically any Kage and highly powerful Jounin could mop the floor with the Chiropterans and maybe even Chevaliers, but if I made it that easy my story would be moot. I am writing this story in the same pretext as stated in Blood+ that only Saya's blood can destroy them. As for any real detail on the Chiropterans, for now they are the basic type that were created to cause chaos, not any extra special scientific breed... yet. I hope this answered your questions, I have in fact put a lot of thought into each chapter that I write and there is a point to everything; I just won't reveal my secrets this early in the process! ;)_

**_Chapter 6 - Blood_**

**_::_**

Three long, worrisome hours later, the pink haired Kunoichi appeared in the waiting room that was now filled with Hinata's friends and family. The first person to notice Sakura come into the room was Neji, who remained stoned faced as he approached the pinkette.

"How's Hinata?" He asked, causing the room to go silent and all eyes to divert to Sakura. She didn't speak right away as she waited for the Hyuga clan leader who was also Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga followed closely by his younger daughter, Hanabi. Moments later, all three Hyugas were staring intently at the pink haired medical nin, anticipating her update.

"The wounds were deep and Hinata lost a lot of blood..." Sakura started out, the eyes upon her becoming more intense. She breathed out silently before continuing. "But, I managed to repair the damage and restore her blood. She is still unconscious in a medical induced coma until her body heals more." Sakura concluded as she clasped her hands together behind her back.

There was a shift in the mood of everyone present as they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Figures that stood tense were now slumped over as the concern washed away. Without speaking, the three Hyugas waited for her to continue. Understanding what they were wanting to know, she nodded once and spoke quietly. "You may go back but only for a few minutes." She stated before Neji and Hiashi sped past her, Hanabi clinging to her father's hand.

Once they had vanished from sight, Sakura walked over to one of the free chairs and sat down, slouching as her body ached from the use of her chakra. A moment later, she felt a soft touch as someone placed their hand on her right shoulder. Looking up, she noticed a rather somber looking Naruto standing next to her.

"Thank you for saving Hinata." He spoke quietly, quite out of the ordinary for him.

"It's my job, Naruto." She stated as she closed her eyes. "Besides, I couldn't let a friend die." Sakura finished her thought quietly as she began to doze. When she used this much chakra consistently, it wore her out. All she wanted to do now was to go home and fall asleep.

Naruto removed his hand from Sakura's shoulder as he noticed she was beginning to drift off. Turning towards the crowd in front of them, he smiled brightly. "Sakura needs to rest now, don't worry about her. Chakra depletion does that." He stated as he looked around the room. There were quite a lot of people who cared for the quiet, shy Hinata. He recognized instantly that Kiba and Shino were among the first to arrive, followed by her family. Tenten and Lee had also come since they were training with Neji when he was alerted about his cousin. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were also present; Ino had always liked Hinata and dragged her male teammates into the waiting room with her. Of course, Kakashi and Sai were there. They along with Naruto had been at Ichiraku's when a panicked looking Ino ran past yelling about Hinata dying. Last, he looked over at the new faces that he had just escorted back. Saya, Haji and the twin girls, Hibiki and Kanade.

Slowly the room began to empty as they all shuffled out, leaving Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Saya, Haji and the twins. Sakura had fallen asleep, unaware of anything else going on around her.

"I will take her home, she needs to rest." Kakashi offered before stepping close to Sakura and picking her up, bridal style. The small pinkette didn't even stir from the movement; her head was now resting against his shoulder. Calling over his shoulder as he walked towards the door, he gave orders to the two remaining Shinobi. "Naruto, Sai. Please remain with Miss Otonashi, I am sure that Lady Hokage will want a report soon and you will escort her to the Hokage's office." A moment later, Kakashi leapt onto the nearest roof and vanished from sight.

As expected, before the others had a chance to leave the hospital, an ANBU agent appeared and alerted them that Lady Tsunade was waiting.

"Well let's go then." Naruto said as he led the small group out of the doors, towards the Hokage Tower.

**_::_**

10 minutes later, they found themselves standing in the Hokage's office as she looked them over with her honey colored eyes.

"Tell me what happened." Tsunade stated, her lips touching the fingers that here folded together in front of her. The room remained silent for a moment before Saya decided to speak first.

"Haji, Hibiki, Kanade, Sakura and myself were walking to the park. I had asked Sakura if we could go there and she was showing us where it was. When we arrived I sensed one of the Chiropterans was near and told Sakura to hide with Hibiki and Kanade. Just after they hid, I heard it howl then it appeared at the opposite end of the park, running towards me." Saya was speaking slowly, trying to remember every part of what had happened. As she related the rest to Tsunade, their eyes locked, causing Saya to tremble slightly. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, knowing it was Haji without having to look up. That calmed her enough for her to finish the details. Once she had fallen silent, Tsunade sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling deep in thought.

"Here is what needs to happen." Tsunade spoke suddenly, causing Saya to jump at the sudden voice. "I will assemble a team to escort you at all times. From this moment on, it is your duty to make sure no more of those creatures are within the walls of Konoha. Once our village is safe, you, along with a bigger team will be dispatched to Suna. They have reported the same events there and I believe this is not an isolated incident. We need to contain the problem before more lands are attacked." Tsunade was now leaning forward on her desk, looking directly at Saya.

"Yes Ma'am." Saya said, knowing what she would have to do. She wasn't happy with having a large group with her but she was in an unfamiliar land and it would be safer for her to travel with those who know it.

"Naruto. Sai. You along with Sakura, after she wakes up, are assigned to accompany Saya. You don't have to all be present, take shifts if need be." Tsunade ordered the two Shinobi in front of her. They both nodded and waited for her to continue.

"That is all for now. Dismissed." Tsunade stated before they filed out of her office. When the door closed, she sighed and placed her head on her desk.

**_::_**

They stood outside of the tower, deciding what to do now. Saya was standing close to Haji as she normally did while Hibiki was looking Sai over.

"Your name is close to aunt Saya's!" Hibiki squealed, causing Sai to raise his eyebrow. The girl was rather close to his face as she squinted her brilliant blue eyes, looking his face over. "You are too pale! Why?"

"Hibiki that was rude..." Kanade stated from her position beside Naruto. The shyer twin let out a squeak as her more outgoing sister shot a glare at her.

"Do you always ask dumb questions?" Sai retorted with one of his fake smiles on his face. Hibiki's glare returned to the said man, her hands now on her hips. Sai noticed her glare and returned it, inwardly wondering why they were glaring at each other.

"I like you! You are one of my new best friends just like Sakura!" Hibiki squealed rather abruptly, causing Kanade to jump slightly. She was hiding half way behind Naruto, her arms that were brought close to her chest were pressing against his right side.

Before Sai could reply, Hibiki linked her arm with Sais and smiled brightly at him. He tried to copy the smile but it didn't work so well. A moment later he finally spoke. "Alright, Crazy." He stated, having chosen that as her nickname. Hibiki squealed again at the playful nickname and placed her index finger on her chin, trying to think of one for him. "I got it! I will call you Creepy!" She stated happily.

Saya shook her head from the exchange she had just watched. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to stumble. She would have fallen if Haji hadn't been quick reflexed and caught her. He picked her up as Kakashi had to Sakura.

"What happened to Saya?" Naruto asked, concern registering on his face.

"Saya is weak after having battled a Chiropteran. We need to get her to Julia." Haji stated.

"Ok let's go, I assume we need to get there quickly. Kanade, climb onto my back." Naruto smiled back at the girl who was still standing behind him.

"W...what?" She asked, her brownish red eyes turned towards his face, her own paling.

"I said climb on. We need to move fast and I don't know if you can or not." He knelt down and waited for her to follow his command. After a few moments she did as he asked, sliding her arms around his back shyly. When she was secure, he stood up straight and slid his arms around her knees firmly so that she wouldn't slide around. Kanade blushed slightly from the contact.

"What about me?" Hibiki whined, causing Sai to raise another eyebrow.

"I suppose Naruto is right. Get on." He stated as he knelt down as Naruto had and waited for the girl to respond. It didn't take long for him to feel the girls move over his shoulders and her logs to encircle his waist. Standing up, she grasped around her knees with his arms.

"This is going to be so fun!" Hibiki squealed into his ear, causing him to wince.

"Alright after you, Haji!" Naruto stated who nodded in response and leapt onto the nearest roof, followed closely by Naruto and Sai. Kanade paled even more as she closed her eyes and buried her face in the crook of Naruto's neck, tightening her arms around him while her elated sister was squealing with joy from beside her. Within a few minutes they had returned to the apartment building they were assigned to and found their way to the one David and Julia shared. Neither girl offered to get off of the two Shinobi, Kanade clung to the blond teen but was now watching as he walked down the hall. Hibiki saw talking to Sai about anything and everything, causing his eyes to glaze over.

Naruto looked back at Sai as they stopped walking, Haji knocked on the door. _'Poor guy' _he thought to himself when he saw the displeasure streak across his face.

"You're really light, Kanade." Naruto stated, bouncing the girl slightly. He felt more like he was carrying a child instead of an adult. She didn't say anything but clung to him firmer as he bounced her.

The door in front of them opened and a smiling Julia appeared in front of them.

"Saya needs a transfusion." Haji stated as the older woman stepped aside, letting them enter.

"Bring her into the bedroom." Julia stated as she closed the door and walked over to the sleeping David who was sprawled out on the couch. She shook him awake and told him what Saya would be getting a transfusion. Getting up, he walked to their stack of things in the corner and dug out the equipment needed along with a container that said **_"Keep Cold"._** Haji walked with Saya to the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.

The twin girls still didn't offer to release their grips around the two Shinobi as they followed behind. Naruto wasn't sure what they were talking about until he saw Julia sit next to Saya and insert a needle into her arm then connect it to a bag that contained red liquid. _'Blood'_ he thought to himself before backing away from the door. David was sitting back on the couch now, looking out the window.

"What are they doing to her?" Naruto asked as he walked close to the couch. Turning his head to look up, David smiled slightly.

"Kanade can answer that for you." He stated before laying down and closing his eyes.

Remembering that the girl was still clinging to his back, he turned his head slightly to look at her with his peripheral vision. She was looking at him intently in return.

"So?" He asked after a long pause, wondering if she had heard the question.

"I'm assuming you know about aunt Saya being a queen for our species. In a way so are Hibiki and myself but that doesn't mean we can survive solely on human food. Sure we can sustain ourselves but at some point we will need to feast on blood just like the Chiropterans do, only we can control ourselves. Ever since I can remember, Hibiki and I have been getting transfusions of blood periodically to sustain us just like aunt Saya is getting now. The difference is that the blood we get is donated to hospitals of someone's own free will. We do not take it forcefully like the others of our species do.

When a queen has to employ her abilities as a Chiropteran like aunt Saya had to do today then it greatly weakens our bodies and the need for blood is greater so after battles, aunt Saya will need transfusions to keep her going." Kanade explained in a thoughtful manner. She had never needed to battle anyone or anything, just like Hibiki hasn't so their need for blood was rare. Naruto remained silent as he listened, barely noticing Sai walking towards them, Hibiki still on his back.

"So she's going to be ok?" Naruto finally asked, breaking the silence. Kanade nodded as she watched his reactions.

"Aunt Saya is not a bad person; she has only ever done what she has to protect the human race. In fact, she was supposed to kill us after we were born. She wanted to prevent what our mother, Diva, did from ever happening again but she changed her mind when Haji refused to keep his promise. She made him promise to kill her so that the cycle would end once and for all." Hibiki stated in the same thoughtful tone that Kanade had spoken in.

"Hey, how about we go for another walk?" Naruto asked, feeling a tension build over the words spoken. He wanted to get out of the apartment regardless of the order to stay near Saya.

"Ok! As long as you continue to carry us, this is fun!" Hibiki cried in Sais ear as she tightened her grip around his neck. He winced and gagged from her reaction.

"Too... tight!" Sai managed to say before she loosened her arms around his neck.

"Sorry, Creepy!" She said as she rested her chin on her arm.

"Ok, let's go!" Naruto said and headed for the window. He felt Kanade tense up a bit as he opened it.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you." He told her as he climbed up onto the sill and jumped, landing on a nearby roof. She suppressed a startled scream as she pressed her face into his neck again. Sai followed close behind, Hibiki giggling from joy.

**_::_**

**_Sakura_**

It had been a few hours now since Sakura had been brought home by her sensei. As she awoke, she noticed that it was rather silent. She had been expecting more noise to come from her living room or spare bedroom. Getting up slowly, she left her room and searched her apartment, finding it empty save for her.

Deciding to take a shower, she gathered a new outfit from her closet and disappeared into her bathroom. The shower didn't take her long so when she was dressed and her hair was dry, she left her apartment to look for the others.

Sakura walked with her arms crossed over her chest, looking around her for any sign of the newest people in Konoha. With a sigh, she was about to give up when she heard a shriek coming from above. She looked up just in time to see Naruto and Sai zip past, Kanade and Hibiki on their backs. Curiosity got the better of her so she leapt up onto a roof and began to follow them. It didn't take her long to realize that Hibiki was giggling. Moving faster to catch up, she got close enough to tap the giggling, dark haired girl on her shoulder. A startled scream came from her, causing Sai to stop suddenly, the sound causing him to wince again. He fell to his knees as he clasped a hand to his offended ear. Hibiki slid off of his back and turned to look for who had tapped her.

"Pinky!" She squealed and latched herself to Sakura before she had a chance to react.

"Don't call me Pinky!" Sakura yelled as Sai stood back up, shooting a glare at the dark haired girl.

"Stop screaming in my ear, Crazy." Sai said as he walked over to them, his hand still rubbing his ear.

Naruto had noticed the scream and stopped as well on a different roof. Once he saw Sakura, he made his way over to them and smiled towards his best friend.

"What's going on? I heard a scream." Naruto asked as he looked at the clearly pissed Sai and Sakura.

"Sakura came from behind and scared Crazy causing her to scream directly into my ear!" Sai stated as he shot another look towards the girl.

"I didn't mean to!" Hibiki looked like she was close to tears now, her arms still linked around one of Sakura's.

"Alright, alright, Hibiki I'm sorry for scaring you." Sakura stated, wanting to stop her from becoming upset.

"Ok! I'm sorry for screaming in your ear, Creepy." She replied as she looked at Sai. He looked at her and formed one of his unusual smiles.

"Apology accepted. Get back on, we weren't done yet." He stated as he remembered that they were heading towards the training grounds where they can show off some of their abilities to the girls. She smiled widely and climbed back onto his back, taking care not to choke him.

Sakura looked at them before curiosity got the better of her. "What exactly are you guys doing?" One of her eyebrows rose.

"Entertaining our guests. We are headed to the training grounds; they want to see what we can do." Naruto stated proudly before turning and leading them towards their destination. Sakura rolled her eyes but followed anyway, knowing that with those two knuckle heads, anything could go wrong.

**_::_**

**_Saya_**

Saya vaguely remembered Haji bringing her to Julia's. When she awoke, she saw the familiar plastic tubing connected to her arm and the red flowing through it. Her strength was going back to normal which made her feel better. She didn't expect to see a Chiropteran so quickly after arriving, but at least it was gone now.

Sitting up, she noticed Haji standing in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching her like he normally did when she was unconscious. Realizing finally that this was her first time being completely alone with Haji since she woke from her hibernation, she smiled and patted the bed next to her. Haji didn't speak as he walked over, sitting down.

Memories flashed through her head of the night she had killed Diva and how Haji had sacrificed himself to protect her. She honestly believed that he had perished that night and when she saw him after waking up, she had felt overjoyed at seeing him alive.

"Haji..." She said as she looked at him. Their eyes locked and an unspoken thought went between them. He instinctively moved closer to her and opened his arms up, allowing her to rest against his chest. "I'm so glad that you are here." She managed to say before the weight of everything since that fateful night erupted. Haji sat quietly and allowed her to cry into his chest. She cried as she remembered Riku and her adoptive dad, George. She cried over the people she had made friends with so long ago who had lost their lives for her cause. She even cried for leaving Kai alone to take care of Hibiki and Kanade. She even found her thoughts shifting to the pale, dark haired girl with the pale eyes who was still in the hospital.

A soft knock came at the door before it opened slightly. Julia stepped in and walked over to Saya quietly, not wanting to disturb her while she removed the needle from her arm. When she was finished, Saya looked at her with puffy eyes. Julia gave her a soft smile and touched the side of her face with a soft hand, letting her know that she understood without speaking a word. Moments later, the woman disappeared from the room.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 6_**

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took a few hours to write and I had fun doing it! In case you haven't noticed, I am using Hibiki as a sort of comic relief, at least for now. Chapter 7 coming soon! Review!_


	7. Chapter 7 - A Sakura Morning

_Hey guys, sorry this update took longer than it should have, I ran into a case of writers block just to have a swarm of new storylines and such invade my mind. Fun. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and faved this story! It makes writing this unique tale worth it!~_

_**Mini rant: **__I WAS TROLLED! What kind of turd goes through every chapter with a fine toothed comb and writes down every spelling or grammar error within, posts a review pointing out said "flaws" and doesn't even bother to say "Hey great story" or "I like the idea but it needs work" or even "This sucks"?! Let alone doesn't even fave or follow? I so hope I am not the only one with this annoying issue. I will say this once: Anyone who does that without being a stated Beta Reader or a friend really has no life and way too much time on their hands... not to mention a stick shoved so far up their arse that would make Jose Jalapeno envious! Mini rant done. Thanks for reading it~_

_**Chapter 7 - A Sakura Morning**_

_**::**_

A very annoyed Sakura slammed her fist down on the offending alarm clock as it screamed at her to wake up. The said annoyance shattered into dozens of pieces, littering the floor with cogs and springs.

_'Great! Now I will have to clean that up!' _She thought to herself before rolling over and looking out the window. The bright blue sky promised a beautiful day of fun and excitement.

Too bad Sakura felt like today was going to be dreadful. As if to validate her thoughts, a shriek pieced the morning quietness in her apartment followed soon by an eruption of giggles.

_Hibiki and Kanade_

They were going to be the death of Sakura. She just knew it. After the excitement last night in the training fields, said girls were too amped up to go to sleep. Somewhere around 1am Sakura dragged herself into her room and collapsed onto her bed. Sleep came pretty quickly but it didn't last long, those girls stayed up _ALL _night giggling and talking. The walls in Sakura's apartment were paper thin, not even both of her pillows, her blankets and the throw pillows piled over her head could muffle the sounds coming from the room beside hers.

Somewhere around 5am they began to settle down, finally letting Sakura slip off into sleep that was unfortunately interrupted an hour later by that damn alarm. Now she had to get up and ready herself for the day on literally one hour of sleep. Yes, today she would be especially moody and short tempered.

Through gritted teeth, the pinkette pried herself out of her bed and dug in her closet for clean clothes before slinking into the bathroom as silent as she could, locking the door. As soon as she turned on the water, a squeal pierced through the door as angry fists banged on it.

_'Just one frigging moment! Oh please Kami save me!'_

What did she do to piss off the gods so much to punish her so cruelly?

"Best friend! Let me in I need to tinkle!" Hibiki cried as she continued to bang on the door, Kanade standing behind her.

Sakura ignored her and stepped into the shower, feeling the hot water massage her frustrations away, at least for the moment. Soon after she turned off the water causing the angry pounding to start again. Rolling her eyes, she wrapped her towel around herself and unlocked the door. She didn't even have time to open it before the two black haired girls pushed past her. With a sigh, she walked out, retreating to her bedroom once more. With the twins distracted, she managed to get dressed in relative peace, even drying her hair enough so that it was slightly damp.

Then the hurricane, or in other words, Hibiki and Kanade, rushed into her room, digging through Sakura's closet.

_'Oh Kami please save me, I beg you!'_

_**::**_

"Sakura-Chan!" Naruto was waiting just outside of Sakura's apartment building, debating on whether he should go up and see if they were awake or assume they were and wait out here. He was about to choose the latter before the twins streaked past him followed by a slow moving, grumpy Sakura.

"Wow, you look like hell ate you and spit you back up!" He said at the top of his lungs, causing anyone within earshot (which happened to be nearly the whole street), to look towards them. As if in slow motion, Sakura's face darkened to a dangerous shade of red as her right eye began to twitch furiously. Anyone with a brain would know that this meant impending doom when dealing with a particular pink-haired Kunoichi, but no, Naruto never got that memo. Sakura raised her fist, eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare as she molded chakra into her hand. Naruto watched, wondering what she was doing but when he realized this meant she was about to hit him, it was too late. A chakra infused fist aimed right for his face, connecting and sending the blond idiot flying to the end of the street, stopping just in front of the twins.

"That was awesome!" Hibiki squealed as she bent over to look at the dazed blond. Kanade looked back at Sakura with wide eyes as she backed up away from Naruto until her back was against the wall of a nearby shop.

"Ugh, come on." Sakura said through clenched teeth as she walked over to them, stepping over the blond who was still sprawled out on the ground. He groaned meekly. Her first task was to go deposit the twins, whom she had found out were around 30 years old.

_'How the hell can two full grown adults act worse than Naruto when he was 11?!' _She screamed inside her head as she remembered a conversation she had with Kai before returning home the night before. She made a mental note to ask him how he managed to deal with them for so long without going bald from stress.

As she walked down the street, she turned a corner, intending on making a stop at the hospital to check on Hinata. Both of the girls behind her talked quietly, causing Sakura to raise an eyebrow. _'What are they planning now?' _whatever it is it couldn't be good. She had a feeling she would be on the receiving end of it.

"Sakura?" Kanade's quieter voice whispered to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Turning her head slightly so she could look at the girl with brownish-red eyes.

"Yes, Kanade-san?" She tried her best to use a friendly, less exhausted tone with the apparently shy girl.

"Are we going to see daddy today?" Kanade's hands were clasped together in front of herself as she spoke; her eyes were focused on the ground. Sakura felt slightly bad for finding a girl whose personality rivaled Hinata annoying.

"I'm sure we will, I just want to check on a friend first." Sakura replied in a low tone, trying her best to quash the still irritated mood she was currently in. _'I wonder if I can leave them with Kai for a while today so I can take a breather.' _Sakura thought to herself as she turned her eyes back to the road ahead. Much to her surprise, neither of them spoke, causing her to guess that the reason for the question lies in them missing their adoptive father.

"Hibiki! Kanade!" Speaking of the devil, a voice just ahead caused Sakura's attention to snap into focus as she saw the orange-haired man walking in their direction, a slight smile on his face. For the first time, Sakura found herself really looking at him. Even though he was old enough to be her own father, he was certainly attractive and she wondered what he looked like 30 years ago. He must have been able to rival Uchiha Sasuke with fan girls.

Two squeals behind her let her know that they heard him and darted around either side of her, running in his direction. Sakura had to swing her arms around to keep her balance, oh kami those girls could move fast! It didn't take long for her to regain herself before she walked up to them. A slight smile appeared on her face when she saw both of the girls clinging to Kai. The smile he gave them was enough to answer her previous question about tolerating the whirlwinds known as Kanade and Hibiki. He simply loved them like his own daughters.

"I hope they didn't because you too much trouble..." Kai said when he looked up and noticed Sakura standing in front of him, her arms hanging at her sides, her face visibly reflecting her exhaustion. His eyebrows pinched together slightly as Sakura spoke.

"No, not at all." Sakura lied and she knew it wasn't a good lie but how could she tell him they had been nightmares. Brushing the feeling off, she smiled again. "Do you mind if I leave them with you for a while? I want to go check on Hinata." Her voice was low, almost a whisper. The memory of the attack yesterday pushed into her mind but she fought it, not wanting to see that again. Kai studied her, giving her a knowing smile.

"I don't mind and the memories fade after a while. We all have them but it gets better." He said, trying to do his best console the torn girl standing in front of him. With a slight nod, Sakura walked around them, heading to the hospital silently. At least she could visit her friend without any interruptions from Tagalog's.

_**::**_

"Hinata?" Sakura entered the girls room after knocking softly. She had spoken with one of the nurses before entering and learned that she was awake now. That relieved the pink-haired Kunoichi greatly.

"H...hi Sakura-chan." Her weak voice answered back, letting Sakura know she was still tired. She would be for a while though, her blood was pretty well drained.

With a smile, Sakura closed the door behind her and walked over to the Hyuga girl, taking a seat in the chair near her bed. To her surprise, Hinata was sitting up, reading a book. Sakura couldn't tell what it was but she knew the other girl enough to know it was some time of fantasy novel.

"How are you feeling today?" Sakura asked softly as leaned forward in her chair, elbows placed on her knees.

"I'm alright, just tired. I... I don't remember what happened and n...nobody will tell me..." Hinata closed the book and placed it on the bedside table before returning her gaze back to Sakura. Her skin was much paler than normal.

"I know, let's leave that for a day when you are much better, ok?" Sakura said softly. She knew that while the girl was still this weak, she shouldn't be worrying about what had happened. Hinata just nodded and looked down at her hands, obviously trying to hide her disappointment.

"Has Naruto been here to see you yet?" Sakura felt the need to change the subject, knowing this would elicit a different reaction, one that would lighten the mood. Hinata's head shot up, eyes wide. A blush spread over her face as she tried to answer.

"I...I don't know I...if he has..." Hinata stuttered out, pressing her pointer fingertips together nervously. Sakura let out a giggle as she reached over and patted the shy girl's knee. They sat in silence for a little while as the tension eased. They began to talk about anything they could think of, both skirting what had happened the previous day.

_**::**_

Saya had awoken early and felt slightly restless. She had been in hibernation for so long that she wanted to go outside and stretch her legs and maybe run into some of her newfound friends.

A half hour later, she was walking from her new apartment building, Haji trailing slightly behind her. Neither of them brought up Saya's emotional scene last night, it was rather embarrassing for her and she didn't want to dwell on it. Letting her thoughts drift, she thought back to 30 years ago when she had finally killed her sister. The memory of their final battle played through her mind as her eyes drifted to the ground, her index finger from her right hand moved up and pressed itself against her lips subconsciously. If Saya had known that after Diva conceived Hibiki and Kanade, she would lose her potency thus rendering her unable to create anymore Chiropterans, she would have let her sister live. Saya didn't want to kill for no reason and if she knew her sister would no longer be a threat, she would have tried to make her realize that humans weren't bad and she could have a real family, like what she had with George, Kai and Riku.

Her thoughts began to flow to memories of Riku, causing her stomach to flip uncomfortably. It was her fault that he had died, if she hadn't gotten him involved, he could possibly still be alive. Saya felt her eyes prickled with tears as she lowered her head, her hair casting a shadow over her eyes. It hurt her to think about her lost little brother and she would never be able to forgive herself.

Haji, who had been walking behind Saya noticed her change in mood. He knew this mood all too well. It was the crushing guilt over what she was, all of those who lost their lives while fighting with her and even against her. He walked up beside her and rested his closest hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. She didn't look up but he could see traces of tears flowing down her cheeks and jaw. Saya had caught her lower lip between her teeth and was chewing on it, another sign he recognized as worry.

"Saya." He said in a whisper as he slid his arm around her and brought her closer to him, holding her in a one armed embrace. Saya balled her hands into fists and held them between their chests, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. Saya began to calm herself; she couldn't let her guilt for what she was cloud her mind from what she still needed to do. Pulling herself away from Haji, she smiled up at him before turning back around just in time to see an orange and black clothed person running her way.

He wasn't looking where he was going, his head turned to look over his shoulder as a very angry pink haired teen ran after him yelling about something but Saya couldn't quite make it out. Her cheeks reddened as Haji pulled her out of the blonde's path just before he could collide with her.

"NARUTO! Get back here!" Sakura yelled as she got closer to them, clearly unaware of Saya and Haji's presence. The blond ran right past them, shrieking as he tried to utter his apologies.

"I'm sorry Sakura-Chan! Please don't kill me!" He was now getting further away as the pink haired Kunoichi was streaking past them, yelling swears at the blond.

Saya stared wide-eyed after the two, still feeling the slight culture shock after meeting them. In Okinawa, the people she knew weren't this quick to attack each other, well at least not over the apparent dumb crap that these two particularly fought over. But it wasn't just them, it was almost everyone else in the village that she had met. People here are very strange.

"Haji, you can put me down now." Saya spoke softly, her cheeks reddening again as she realized Haji was still holding her, bridal style. He nodded once and let her down before they continued on their way.

_**::**_

_**~Flashback~**_

_Sakura was sitting on a bench near the park, in fact; it was the same bench that Sasuke had left her on after she tried to beg him not to leave. This bench brought back so many hurtful memories that she normally tried to avoid it but today she didn't. For some reason, when she sat down, her mind didn't shift to Sasuke as it normally would. _

_She laid down, stretching herself along the bench, slinging her arm over her eyes as she tried to rest. She was still feeling exhausted from the night before and desperately needed a good nap._

_"Sakura-Chan!" Naruto noticed his best friend sleeping on a bench and decided to keep her company. In Naruto logic, a sleeping person was a person in need of mindless conversation. Sakura groaned in protest of being disturbed, letting her arm slip from her eyes._

_"Naruto. I'm trying to sleep." Sakura croaked out as she glanced in the blonds' direction. He had his classic smile plastered across his face, his hands folded together behind his head._

_"Why out in the middle of public?" He asked, now standing in front of her, blocking the sun from her eyes._

_"It's quiet here, now go away." She replied in an almost bored tone that would have made Sasuke proud. _

_"You shouldn't sleep in public like that; you should go home or better yet, come home with me!" His grin widened at the prospect of Sakura in his bed. He didn't have any ill intentions with the thought, but for some reason he liked the idea a lot. Sakura's eyes widened at the offer before narrowing and glaring at him._

_"What?" She hissed out, sitting up straight. If she wasn't so tired she probably would have just declined like she normally would but with lack of sleep, the offer sounded more wrong then it should have. She shot to her feet, molded her chakra into her hand and swung her arm around to hit him. Luckily for Naruto, he managed to avoid it but just barely._

_The blond turned on his heel and fled, not knowing what he said had been distorted in Sakura's mind into some dirty night of infamy. Sakura gave pursuit, yelling at him to stop running and face his punishment like a man. _

_**~End Flashback~**_

_**::**_

_**End Chapter 7**_

_I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, it took me a few days to complete, between working on others and Thanksgiving approaching, time to sit and write this out have been hard to come by. I will start working on chapter 8 after the holiday! To those of you in America, Happy Thanksgiving! _


	8. Chapter 8 - Mission: Suna Calls

_This update is entirely too late and for that I am sorry! I got busy and lost track of time and before I knew it, I became late for an update. _

**_Chapter 8 -Mission: Suna Calls_**

**_::_**

"Lady Tsunade!" The black haired kunoichi, assistant to the Godaime Hokage shouted as she ran through the halls of the Hokage Tower. The door to the all too familiar office came into view soon enough and without hesitation, she burst through causing those in the office to look at her questioningly.

"Shizune! I am in the middle of a debriefing!" Tsunade snapped as she looked at the panting woman standing in the doorway clutching a small white scroll.

"It's important, look." Shizune said ignoring the angry look coming from the woman as she crossed the room and held the message out to the blond haired Hokage.

Tsunade took the scroll from Shizune as she shot her a disapproving glance before opening the message and reading it's contents. The room fell into a deafening silence as the ANBU agents watched their Hokage intently, all four silently eager to know what was so important but knew better then to ask. As if reading their thoughts, the blond head shot up and looked at them, her face a mixture of irritation and something else, could it have been slight panic?

"OUT!" The only word that Tsunade could muster was that simple order as she realized her worst fears had come to light. The ANBU agents didn't hesitate before vanishing on the spot.

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked hesitantly as she stepped away from the desk, recognizing the soon to be tantrum that the Hokage would surely pitch. As if the sound of her name snapped her out of wherever she was, her honey eyes shot up and connected with Shizune's obsidian.

"I need you to find Sakura, Naruto, Sai and Kakashi right away. Tell them to get their asses here pronto!" Tsunade ordered as she stood up from her desk and turned to look out the window behind her, not waiting for any further responses.

"Hai, Lady Tsunade." Shizune said before running from the room, intent on tracking down Team Kakashi.

With a sigh, Tsunade looked out at the village where it's residents were blissfully unaware of the trouble that was beginning to brew.

**_::_**

"CHA!" The ground shook beneath the petite pink haired woman as she threw her chakra infused fist into the ground. Seconds later, clumps of grass and dirt as well as the rocks hidden in the soil flew into the air, hurtling in all directions. A collective gasp was heard from the small crowd that was witnessing the spar.

A blond, orange and black flash darted across the training field, avoiding the soaring projectiles that Sakura had unleashed on him. By now he was used to her scary, unhuman strength but every attack was different depending on the terrain. As soon as he was out of the line of fire, he summoned two shadow clones and began working on one of his newer techniques, the Rassan-shuriken.

While he and one of the clones worked on the attack, the other clone charged at his pink haired sister-like friend, flinging a kunai at her to distract. Of course she deflected easily with one of her own before hurtling another moments later at the clone, causing it to poof from existence.

It wasn't much of a distraction but it was enough for him to form his justu. Naruto darted towards Sakura, the bright chakra shuriken spinning in his hand before he threw it at her. Sakura's eyes widened momentarily before barely managing to evade the attack.

"BAKA! NARUTO! You could have killed me with that!" Sakura shouted as she got up from the ground moments after the glowing weapon flew past, severing a few trees along the way before vanishing.

"Sorry, Sakura-shan, I wanted to show you my new jutsu." Naruto said as he walked towards her, hand behind his head with a sheepish grin on his face. No matter how much she tried to stay mad at him, she couldn't. He was like her brother after all, albeit, a very annoying brother.

With a slight smirk that he failed to notice, she held her right hand behind her back and infused it with chakra while she waited for him to get closer. When he was within arms reach, she flung her fist around and connected with his head, sending him flying across the field, landing neatly by their audience. Feeling vindicated, Sakura smiled and walked back towards them.

"That was pretty amazing, Sakura." Kai was the first to comment as he looked between the pinkette and the unconscious blond a few feet away from him. Sakura and Naruto had been at the spar for two hours now and they showed off their best attacks and defenses so that their visitors knew what they were capable of.

"Thank you, Kai." Sakura said with a softer smile, a slight hint of a blush trying to creep up but she managed to fight it down. Now was not the time for that.

"Ne Sakura-chan... you hit too hard..." Naruto complained from his spot on the ground as he started to regain consciousness. Sakura let out a light sigh before walking to her teammate and began to heal the bump she had created on his head, soothing the ache away with her soft green medic chakra. It didn't take long before Naruto was up on his feet, smiling as he always did.

"Impressed?" He asked as he put his fisted hands on his hips, standing in a very triumphant manor. Sakura rolled her eyes, not missing the giggle that came from Saya who had been relatively silent.

"Shut up, Naruto." Sakura growled out. She opened her mouth to say something else but the sudden presence of a familiar chakra signature alerted her to someone approaching them rather quickly. "We have company." Sakura said in a low tone as she turned and waited for the one she suspected.

"Sakura-chan! Naruto-kun!" Shizune appeared near them, panting from having run from the Hokage tower. She decided to look at the training ground first since the members of Team Kakashi loved to train and spar.

"What is it, Shizune-sama?" Sakura asked first, ignoring the others turning to look at the assistant curiously.

"Lady Tsunade requires your presence immediately! Just you two." Shizune said, adding the last part when she finally noticed the audience who had been watching the other two.

"Hai!" Sakura replied as she grabbed Naruto's jacket sleeve, turning towards the others. "We need to go, I'm sure you can make it back to the village from here?" She asked, looking from Kai to Saya. They both nodded which was enough for the pinkette before she dragged the blond away, Shizune trailing after them.

"I wonder what it's about..." Sakura heard Kai ask to nobody in particular as they jumped into the trees and began their way back to the village.

**_::_**

"I'm impressed with their abilities to say the least." Kai stated as he, Saya and Haji walked through the forest, heading in the general direction of Konoha. When the offer came up for them to watch the two spar, he didn't know what would happen but the sheer power that they both possessed was amazing.

"So am I... back in our world, nobody but Chevaliers, me and Diva could have such strength that Sakura showed and she was still a lot stronger then I could ever be. That ground disintegrated right beneath her fist." Saya commented slowly as she recalled the battle that had taken place only minutes ago. Sure, she had her own strength but this was something entirely knew.

"We are in a different world, Saya. It's only natural that the capabilities of people are different as well." Haji said in a thoughtful manor, recognizing the self doubt that sometimes crept into Saya's thoughts.

"I suppose your right. I am glad they are fighting with us, not against us." She said as she looked up at him, a smile on her face.

"Come on, lets get back. I am sure Hibiki and Kanade are wondering where we are." Kai commented as he slid his hands into his pockets, looking up at the sky through the tree tops.

The three fell silent as they made their way back, not noticing the pair of red eyes that had been watching them since the group arrived at the training field.

**_::_**

"Grandma Tsunade... why are we here?!" Naruto nearly whined as he and Sakura waited for the other two to arrive. They were the first to show up and Tsunade refused to tell them what she had summoned them for until Sai and Kakashi arrived.

"Be quiet, Uzumaki, we need to wait for Hatake and Sai." Tsunade growled from where she was sitting at her desk, eyes trained on the door as she waited for the two to arrive.

Moments later, a soft knock was heard before the door opened and Sai popped his head in. He looked at Sakura and Naruto before smiling the his usual fake, creepy smile.

"Ah, Dickless and Ugly are here." Sai said as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Naruto and Sakura simultaneous shot him a glare but remained silent. Now was not the time to berate him over his choice of nicknames.

"Yo!" Kakashi appeared in the window next to the Hokage's desk, his ever present Icha Icha book in his hand.

"Finally! Now we can get started. I have a mission for you four, I received an urgent request for help from the Kazekage this morning and you need to head out immediately. This has to do with the Chiropterans, two have been spotted in Suna. One person has died already and five others have been attacked." Tsunade explained as she handed the scroll over to Kakashi. He finally put that book away when the tone of the meeting became serious.

"Shouldn't Saya be here?" Naruto asked as he looked at the Hokage questioningly.

"I have already sent Shizune out to round up those who will be going with you. I wanted to give you your orders beforehand. You are to protect Saya, without her we basically have no hope. Once you arrive in Suna, Naruto and Sai, I want you to go with Saya and help her track down the chiropterans. There won't be much you can do but you can help contain them. Kakashi, I want you to go and speak with Gaara, he will want a full explanation as to what we are dealing with here. I told him and the other Kage's enough but nothing in detail. Sakura, you are to report to the hospital and help with their wounded." Tsunade spoke gruffly as she folded her hands together, resting them against her chin. The four nin acknowledged their orders just as another knock sounded on the door.

"Enter." Tsunade said, watching the ones she had summoned enter the room. Saya was the first to walk in, a determined knowing look on her face. She was a smart girl and knew that the only reason they would be summoned so quickly only meant one thing. Haji followed her in next, no expression passing on his face. Tsunade found herself wondering if he was an Uchiha in a past life. Kai, Hibiki and Kanade trailed in after, followed by David. There were more agents of the Red Shield in the village but they didn't all need to be here since they wouldn't all be going. She needed some to remain behind just in case.

"Skipping formalities," Tsunade spoke before anyone else had a chance. The intense look in her eyes reflected she meant business at this moment. "We have a problem. I got word today from our closest Allie that they have at least two known Chiropterans attacking the citizens. Everyone in this room is expected to leave immediately and head to Suna." Her eyes drifted to the two nieces of Saya, inwardly disapproving of them accompanying them but knew stating so would not be in her best interest. They were Queens as well and could probably be of some use even though they acted so immature mentally.

"Travel will need to be as quick as possible. I know that Haji and Saya can keep up with Team Kakashi but as for David, Kai and the twins, I am not so sure." Tsunade said in a more thoughtful manor, wondering how to work past this little dilemma.

"I will remain behind, Tsunade-sama." David offered as he recognized the thought going through his old friend's mind. She looked at him before nodding.

"Alright then. Sai, you are to use a flying art beast and take the other three that way." She looked towards the former ROOT agent, waiting for his reply. He opened his mouth but Naruto spoke up first.

"Grandma Tsunade, there is no need for that! We can carry Hibiki and Kanade, they are light enough that it wouldn't take much effort at all!" He stated with another grin on his face. He wouldn't admit it but he liked showing off how capable he was if Saya was involved. She was basically his equal in a sense and he didn't want to look weak.

"What about Kai?" Tsunade questioned him, a blond eyebrow raising as her honey orbs appraised the people in the room.

"Sakura has excellent chakra control. I am sure she can manage just fine with aiding Kai in keeping up." Kakashi offered, handing back the scroll that he had been holding on to since the meeting started. Tsunade looked at her apprentice for a moment before nodding.

"It's settled then. Kakashi is team leader. Leave as soon as possible. Dismissed." Tsunade said with a finality putting an end to anything that may have been added or objected to.

**_::_**

"Kakashi's late! How can he be late?!" Naruto complained as the rest of the group stood by the front gates leading from Konoha, waiting for the Copy nin. It was already decided that Sai would carry Hibiki as he did before and Naruto would have Kanade. It didn't take long for that choice to be made.

"I call Creepy!" Hibiki squealed as she leapt towards Sai, causing him to sweat drop. She flung her arms around his neck in a possessive manor, eliciting a questioning gaze from Saya as she looked at Kai. She didn't need to ask the question she wanted since he just shook his head stating he had no idea.

"Goodie. Crazy." Sai said a little exasperated, at least he tried to sound that way but in reality, he sounded more bored. Kanade timidly walked over to Naruto and stood by his side, reminding him of Hinata in many ways. He smiled at the woman before draping an arm over her shoulders, causing her to squeak.

"So, how are you going to help me keep up?" Kai decided it was a good chance to find out how Sakura could do such a thing. She looked at him and squinted as if in thought, wondering the same thing herself. She was quiet for a few moments before an idea came to mind.

"Oh! If you remain touching me in some way then I can bleed my chakra into you and control your movements. It would be easier if I could use Shikamaru's shadow possession jutsu but I can't so hopefully this will work." Sakura stepped closer to Kai and held her hand out to him, her emerald hues almost twinkling with curiosity. If this worked then it would be a new discovery in helping others travel. Kai wasted no time in taking her offered hand, reflecting her excitement to see if she could pull it off.

"Ok, now don't let go." She ordered him as she opened up her chakra, driving it down her arm towards Kai's hand. It was a slow process as the bluish white energy flowed visibly into his hand, up his arm and worked down his body. For Sakura it didn't feel any different then probing patients with her green chakra but for Kai, she could tell the sensation was very odd and would take some getting used to. He flinched a little but with a stern look from the pinkette, he contained himself and allowed her to work.

"Well that's a good sign. Now, when I say, take a few steps forward." She said as she kept the connection flowing. At this point she was just flying by the seat of her pants and had no idea if this would work. It was worth a shot at least.

"Match my steps. Go." She said as she took a step forward, Kai mimicking her movements. At first it was just a normal walk until she got used to controlling another body. When she felt more comfortable, she started to move quicker, forcing her chakra to do the same with Kai and much to her surprise, it worked quite well. He was moving at her pace as she picked up speed until she was running, forcing herself to move faster then a normal human could. He kept up without fail.

"Ok, one last test." Without warning, she leapt up onto the fence near the gate, amazed that he didn't falter. It looked like this would do the trick. "Perfect." She said as she leapt down and let go of Kai's hand, walking back to the group who had been watching them.

"That was probably one of the weirdest sensations I have ever felt in my life." Kai stated as he stood next to the pink haired woman, a smile cracking across his face.

'POP'

A moment later, a pop sound alerted them to someone appearing within their group. As the smoke dissipated, they saw the Copy nin standing next to Saya and Naruto, his nose in his book.

"YOUR LATE!" Naruto and Sakura cried out simultaneously, pointing at their former sensai. He just shrugged before reluctantly tucking the book away and looking at the waiting group.

"Well lets get going, shall we?" He said as he looked them over. "I will lead, Naruto you are on my right, Sai on the left. I want Saya and Haji in the middle behind me with Sakura and Kai taking the rear. Got it?" He said before turning and walking out of the gates, leading them away from the village. They walked for about ten minutes before stopping and preparing for tree travel.

Naruto knelt down and let Kanade fix herself to his back, Sai doing the same for Hibiki who promptly squealed and hugged him a little too tight, eliciting a groan of irritation from him. Sakura held her hand out for Kai who took it and let her take control over his body, a grin plastered to his face. He would enjoy this form of travel. She leaned close to him and whispered her reminder to not let go under any circumstance.

Once they were ready, they leapt into the trees and took their formation before speeding off towards Suna and the waiting Kazekage. Saya and Haji were not used to moving in this manor but they got the hang of it quickly.

None of them picked up on the masked chakra signature coming from the lone person trailing them at a good distance, red eyes nearly glowing in the shadows cast by the forest.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 8_**

_I don't know how many times I can apologize for not updating sooner but I got really busy and ended up with more writers block. It's no excuse but I promise to update quicker. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review~_


	9. Chapter 9 - Getting There

_I'd like to thank all those of you who have reviewed my story so far and marked it as a fave and followed. I'm glad that I have a good following with this one, it's a little difficult to write and knowing that it's liked makes it worth writing._

**_Chapter 9 – Getting There_**

**_::_**

They had been traveling all day now with barely any breaks, not that any of them needed it. Sakura replenished her strength with Solder Pills since she was splitting her chakra with Kai, but other than that, the group were able to keep going at their fast pace, driven by the fact that Suna needed their assistance pronto.

"Alright guys, let's make camp for the night." Kakashi said from ahead of them, calling all of their attention. One by one they dropped to the ground, Sakura letting go of Kai's hand and flexing her aching fingers from the constant contact while Naruto and Sai let the twin girls slide off their backs.

"Who will take first watch?" Sakura asked as she dropped her travel bag beside her near a tree and sat down, letting a light yawn escape from her. Kai sat down next to her and offered her some of the water out of his canteen which she gladly accepted while Hibiki and Kanade sat down opposite of them, shooting them glances before giggling to themselves.

"I will take first watch; Sai will be second followed by Naruto then you." Kakashi ordered, knowing that if Sakura rested now then she would be up early enough to take the last watch then wake the others when dawn arrived. She nodded before making a pillow out of her travel bag and laid down, closing her eyes almost instantly. Kai looked down at her and smiled before taking another drink from the canteen and tucking it away.

Saya sat down on the other side of Kai, offering him a smile as Haji walked to her and stood ever vigilant. Naruto and Sai sat down at a different tree base that was close by. Sai brought out a small book that he began to draw in while Naruto, like Sakura, made a bed the best he could and dozed off. Kakashi vanished from the area as he began to scout the perimeter and set up Genjutsu traps so that if anyone passed by they wouldn't be detected.

Hibiki was the first to break the silence as she erupted into a fit of giggles, having found something amusing that her and her sister were discussing, causing Sai, Haji, Kai and Saya to look at them.

"What's so funny?" Kai asked his adopted daughters, raising a brow with curiosity. He waited for the two to answer and when it became clear by the way they exchanged looks, they weren't going to indulge them.

"By the way Hibiki and Kanade keep looking over at the two ninja who carried them today, I would guess they are talking about them." Saya whispered in his ear, a slight smile on her face. She had yet to spend any real time with her nieces but they were almost a breath of fresh air to her. Regardless of the fact that they were Queens just like herself, she knew that Kai had raised them well enough to not follow in their mothers footsteps. Hopefully they could be kept that way.

"As their father figure, I must say I do not approve." Kai deadpanned, looking more intently at the two twins who were indeed all but staring in Sai and Naruto's direction.

Saya was about to speak when she heard Haji move next to her. He sat down a little ways away from her and laid the cello case out in front of him, opening it up. Kai knew what he was going to do while the twins and Sai looked on curiously.

Haji opened the lid exposing the cello, picking it out of its case and positioning it on the ground, the top handle leaning against his shoulder. After the instrument was in its position, he reached into the case and brought out the bow, gently gliding it against the cords on the cello.

The piece that he played was the familiar tune that Saya had taught to Haji after they met. It had become an unwritten calming sound that Haji got in the habit of playing after Diva was released and Saya began to hunt her.

Saya closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree letting the gentle music take her mind away as she thought about the first time she tried to teach him to play that piece of music. At first his inability to do it right had aggravated her immensely but now he played so flawlessly that it was almost hard to believe he had struggled in the first place.

As Saya let the music flow through her, Sai put down his art book at watched the silent man play the music that he had never heard before. The small campsite became silent as they listened to Haji play while Saya's mind traveled to the memory of the night she had finally ended Diva's life, and what she thought would be the end of the wars.

"Haji?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she moved her head so that she was facing him, though her eyes were downturned.

"Yes, Saya?" He whispered back as he continued to play.

"Do you remember the night I stopped Diva? You promised me you would end my life, so we could put a stop to the violence from our kind… you defied me that night and asked me to live. I really thought that would be the end of it since Diva and her Chevaliers were gone but if that were true… why are we here?" Her voice was quiet, reflecting the thoughtfulness of the question. She didn't demand a real answer to it though, she knew neither Haji nor anyone else here had the answer for her, but she still wanted to voice it.

"Saya, I do not have that answer for you but we will find out the cause. I promise." Haji reflected Saya's tone, continuing the conversation that only they could hear. Sai watched intently from across the campsite but couldn't guess what they were talking about.

"It couldn't possibly be Diva… could it? I killed her, my blood turned her to stone then she shattered like all the others…" Her eyes closed as she spoke, leaning into Haji's side in a search for the comfort she felt from being so close to him.

"I do not know but it isn't likely. Amshel could have found a way but he was defeated as well." He stopped playing and set his Cello back into its case before slipping his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

"Maybe it was just a fluke; at least I certainly hope so." Saya mused before letting sleep take over. She pressed her cheek against his chest as she tried to get more comfortable. Haji leaned fully back against the tree trunk as he closed his eyes, holding his Queen as tenderly as he could.

**_::_**

Three hours after Sai fell asleep; he awoke to someone poking hi very rudely in his cheek. His first instinct was to grab his katana but when he cracked his eyes open, he found the very loud, annoying Hibiki staring at him with a smile plastered on her face.

"Yay! Creepy is awake!" She squealed, giving him enough room to sit up before she flung herself onto him, nearly squeezing the life out of him. She had been awake ever since they decided to rest since she had taken a nap while safely snuggled into Sai's back during their traveling.

"Get off of me Crazy! You are lucky you didn't get a Kunai in your throat." He stated in a too cheerful voice as he tried to push the girl off of him with little success.

"Kakashi said it was time for you to wake up and said I could wake you so I that's why I was poking you! Let me watch with you!" Hibiki spoke in an unnaturally fast voice that was steadily getting louder. Thankfully the only other person awake was Kakashi, everyone else managed to sleep right through her annoyance.

"Are you going to be silent?" Sai asked her as he stood up and dusted off his clothes before looking over at the team leader with a stone face. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he smiled, obviously enjoying the torment the ex-ROOT was going through.

"Aww do I have to?" She whined as she crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. Ignoring her, Sai walked over to Kakashi and nodded once.

"There has been absolute silence since we stopped to rest, although I kept picking up faint signs of a Chakra signature traveling quite a distance behind us. Keep an eye on it while you are watching, maybe send some of your rats out and scout." Kakashi instructed the black haired Shinobi before moving to the now vacant spot next to Naruto and sitting down. Sai vanished into the trees, leaving a skulking Hibiki to pout as she sat back down near her sister.

"Creepy is so mean to me!" She whined before closing her eyes and resting her head against Kanade's, letting sleep take over. Kakashi smiled before letting his own eye close while he rested his body, but still remained alert.

**_::_**

As soon as Sai was far enough away from the others, he pulled out a scroll and quickly drew his usual rats on it before activating the jutsu and sending them off in different directions to scout. When that had been completed, he widened his senses and surprisingly picked up on a very faint chakra signature.

_'Must be the one that Kakashi picked up on.' _He thought to himself, masking his chakra just to be sure. If his rats detected anyone, he would know right away who it was then he could go wake the others.

Just as he was about to start of a perimeter check, one of his rats spotted the owner of the distant signature. He dispelled his jutsu causing the rats to vanish before he set off to circle the camp.

_'What are you up to, Traitor?' _

**_::_**

By dawn Sakura was wide awake and easily sitting in a tree above the others. Sai had decided to keep his new discovery a secret from Naruto and Sakura considering they would have acted upon emotions and set off to retrieve him. How naïve they were.

It was time to get the others up so they could continue on their way to Suna so Sakura leapt down from the tree and walked over to her former sensei, waking him first. He woke up easily so she moved on to where Naruto and Sai were resting. Sai got up easily, same as Kakashi but once again, Sakura found herself in the very familiar predicament. Naruto refused to wake up.

"Five more minutes Sakura-chan!" He whined as he pulled his jacket over his head, blocking out the morning light. She scoffed before walking off and waking the others. Haji had been awake all night but he had the appearance of being asleep so when Sakura approached him, she nearly jumped when he popped his eyes open and stared at her.

"Time to get ready to travel again." She said before turning to Kai and shaking him. He groaned but woke up fairly quickly, offering to wake his adoptive daughters. Sakura didn't complain as she walked back to Naruto and shook him roughly.

"Wake up, Naruto!" She said loudly into his ear, earning a curse from the blond but still, he refused to wake up. Sakura growled as she turned around and walked to her travel bag and dug through it ignoring the others watching her with curiosity. When she found what she was searching for, she stalked back over to the sleeping blond and dumped the contents right on his head.

_'Ahhhhhh!'_

Naruto jumped up quickly as he ran around the campsite, the cold water from Sakura's canteen soaked through his shirt. His damp hair stuck to his forehead. Saya backed up into Haji so that she wouldn't be trampled in his frantic running while Hibiki and Kanade giggled, clinging to each other.

"Nice job." Kai said in Sakura's ear as she returned her canteen to her bag, ignoring the yelling blond. Sakura snapped her head up and smiled quickly at him before standing and draping her bag across her back.

"I do what I have to when he doesn't want to wake up." She explained with a shrug before turning her attention to Kakashi who had called their attention.

"Alright, same formation as yesterday. We won't stop unless it's absolutely necessary. By nightfall we should cross over into Wind. After that we will rest for the night then push on until we reach Suna." Kakashi ordered as he waited for his team to get ready.

Naruto knelt down and allowed Kanade to climb onto his back while Sai did the same for Hibiki. Sakura took Kai's extended hand and pushed her chakra through him then waited for the order.

"Move out." Kakashi said then leapt into the trees followed by his team, taking the same formation as the day before.

**_::_**

They had been traveling for a good part of the day when Sai decided it was a good time to speak with Kakashi about their shadow. With a push of chakra, he sped up and matched Kakashi's pace before speaking quiet enough to not be overheard.

"I figured out who the shadow is." Sai said as he kept his eyes facing forward. He heard the girl on his back snoring slightly, which is why he chose to speak with the Copy nin now.

"Who?" Kakashi asked as he glanced over at Sai. He had his suspicions but he wasn't quite sure. He knew the ex-ROOT would be able to find out.

"It's the traitor. He is staying hidden but he is matching us down to our exact pace. He is alone." Sai explained ignoring the way the girl shifted on his back trying to get more comfortable. Her arms tightened around his shoulders momentarily before she settled down once more.

"That's what I thought. Thank you Sai. Keep this quiet for now." Kakashi responded as he refocused on the path ahead. Soon they would cross over into Wind and they would stop to rest before crossing the desert.

"Hai." Sai said before dropping back and retaking his original spot in the formation.

Kakashi's thoughts traveled to the Uchiha trailing them, wondering what he could possibly want from them and why he was just following instead of attacking. This was defiantly unusual behavior for him.

Soon enough they ran out of trees and found themselves on the boarder to the seemingly endless desert ahead. The Leaf nin were used to this but the genuine look of uncertainty on the faces of the others clearly stated that it was going to be a trying venture for them all to reach Suna.

Once again, they took watch shifts while the others rested, talking at a bare minimum from the exhaustion of the day. Kakashi took note of the presence quite a ways away, wondering if he intended on trailing them to Suna. Whatever he was planning, Kakashi hoped it had nothing to do with the reason they were aiding the Kazekage.

**_::_**

"Why is it so hot?!" Hibiki whined from her place on Sai's back. It was almost unbearably hot as they traversed the sand, trying their best to do what they could to not get burns from the sun.

"We are moving further south so it will only get hotter. It's like this in Suna so get used to it." Kakashi said from ahead of them. He had been this may numerous times now so he knew what to expect, same as his usual team.

"At this point I would take Russia again." Kai muttered from beside Sakura remembering the time 30 years ago when he, along with Riku, Saya, Haji and the rest of the Red Shield rode on the Trans-Siberian Express when Amshel had made his first appearance, even though they didn't know it until later.

"What's Russia?" Sakura asked him with confusion on her face. She had never heard of such a place and knew it must have been from beyond their lands. He looked at her before remembering that they weren't aware of the rest of the world.

"It's a country in the northern part of the world. It's cold and during the winters it's almost like being in Antarctica." He explained, eliciting another raised eyebrow from him. He smiled at her before continuing. "I have a map of our full world in my bag. When we finally make it to Suna, I will show you and explain the different countries, ok?" He smiled again as he gave her hand a light squeeze, causing her to blush and turn her eyes away.

"Ok!" She squeaked out, ignoring the chuckle he let out at her reaction. They fell silent as they pressed on, Sakura turning small amount of her chakra into a cooler substance and lacing it through into his body to help cool him off. He smiled at her appreciatively.

The group fell silent as they pressed on, the only sounds were from their quick steps on the ground and their clothes swishing from the breeze it caused. Off in the distance they heard a loud roar that caused them to come to a halt.

"What was that?" Naruto asked as he nearly dropped Kanade from his back but luckily she hung on tight enough to remind him not to let go.

"That was a chiropteran." Saya replied, her voice low and menacing. When they turned to look at her, her eyes were shining a bright red and her lips had glossed over in a deep red, almost like she had blood on her mouth. Haji dropped his cello case from his shoulder and opened it, retrieving Saya's sword from within. She took it from him, leaving it sheathed as she held it in her left hand, the red ruby glinting in the sunlight.

"Let's go. We are close." Saya said in the same inhuman tone as she and Haji took the lead, speeding through the sand towards her target.

The rest of them followed without another word said, Sakura pumping more chakra into Kai so they could keep up with the faster pace. Within minutes the large beast came into view as it chased after two nin who kept hurtling kunai and shuriken at it with no effect.

"MOVE!" Saya yelled at them. They didn't hesitate to vanish as she darted at the beast, drawing her sword and lacing it with her blood. It roared at her and charged, ignoring Haji who had appeared behind it.

Haji flung a dagger at it from behind in means to distract so that Saya could have the advantage. The others came to a stop a safe distance away as they watched her take care of the chiropteran. The beast turned around to face Haji attempting to swipe at him but the chevalier moved quick enough to avoid it. Saya used the distraction and sunk her sword deep into the beasts back, causing it to howl in pain. She withdrew her sword before it could turn on her and jumped high onto its back, swinging her sword down at the neck of the creature. She felt the metal slice right through the flesh of the chiropteran, severing its head neatly. A fountain of blood spewed into the air as the body fell to the ground, turning into a grey stone before shattering and blowing away with the wind.

Saya knelt on the ground, panting heavily as she leaned on her sword, blade down in the sand. Haji took her sword and sheath from her and set it back inside the cello case before reaching down and picking the now exhausted girl up into his arms. She was already tired enough from traveling, she would need a good rest when they reached their destination.

Haji nodded once at the others, indicating they were done here and it was time to move on. Minutes later they had reformed their formation and sped towards Suna, noticing that the gates began to come into view.

As they picked up the pace, they noticed that three people stood at the gate waiting for them. Naruto and Sakura moved towards the front to greet the waiting nin.

When they finally reached the gate, they came to a stop, panting. Sakura let go of Kai's hand while Sai and Naruto let their charges down.

"Welcome to Suna. We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival and a full explanation as to what we are dealing with here." The Kazekage stated, his sea foam green eyes locking on Naruto before he looked to Sakura, offering her a hint of a smile.

"Gaara, let's let them rest first. They look exhausted and they smell bad." Kankuro said as he covered his nose as if offended. Sakura let out a low growl before their hosts turned and led them into the city.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 9_**

_I hope you guys liked this chapter, it was kind of a filler since I don't really like blindly time skipping :/ Chap 10 coming soon!_


	10. Chapter 10 - Let's Begin

_So, after much consideration, I finally decided on a good plot for this story. When I began writing it, I had absolutely no idea where it would head since I was pretty much developing it chapter by chapter but now that I have gotten this far, I have found it difficult to try and just let the story flow so as far as the questions that I have received regarding a few points that are clearly different then the Cannon version, it will get explained in time. I don't want to let out any plot spoilers this early in the story so please just bear with it, there will be answers by the end! Now to address another continual question I have received, I am still not sure if anything romantic will happen between Naruto and Saya. That is something that I haven't thought a lot about so all I can say is if something does happen between them, it will be after a solid trust and friendship is built between them. At this point they are just acquaintances and teammates. I hope this helps put some minds at ease! – L. Shade_

**_Chapter 10 –Let's Begin_**

**_::_**

**_Underground Base _**

"How are the preparations coming along?" The rather tall, stout man standing in the doorway spoke in a low; almost purr of a voice as he looked at the body that remained motionless on the steal operating table in the middle of the room. His arms hung stiffly at his sides, the silver ring on his right middle finger glinting in the firelight.

"One must not rush these things, this will surely take time. Be patient." The other male in the room replied in his usual cool manor, a smirk adorning his face. He reached up to his face and pushed his glasses back further onto his nose, the sweat that had been forming while he had been meticulously rebuilding the DNA of his "experiment" caused them to slide annoyingly down the bridge of his nose.

"I pride myself in being patient; however I am beginning to lose said patience. I am anxious to see if it will work this time or not." The one in the doorway stepped further into the room. He was visible now to the medic, shadows no longer obscuring him. He wore is usual reddish purple suit adorned with his violet ascot, his blue eyes twinkling with anticipation as he walked closer to the remains of his beloved Queen.

"Amshel, I assure you I am working as quickly as I can but if I am to do this right, I need to make sure nothing is overlooked." Kabuto replied as he looked back down at his current project, not wanting to delay any further with the distractions that the Chevalier was causing.

"We wouldn't want that now would we? You do remember our agreement. When she awakes, you are to pledge yourself to her. I am the only one left and I need assistance with obtaining her goals." Amshel turned away from the white haired man as he walked back to the door. His tone became more dangerous as he warned the medic that he would not get to use the Queen for his own purposes, but instead, he would serve her.

"Of course." Kabuto said. He had gotten used to being reminded of this simple task even though he had no intentions of fulfilling it in the least. He had his own agenda to attend to and it didn't include becoming someone else's servant.

The wooden door closed with a solid click, leaving Kabuto alone with the stoned remains of what once was a very threatening creature to the world she had known. She would indeed cause a change in the Shinobi nations, and if things went according to his plans, the nations would cease to exist as it was currently known.

**_::_**

**_Suna_**

A full day had passed after the team from Konoha had arrived in Suna. The Kazekage personally showed them to their rooms that they would be staying in while they helped rid the Sand Village of the creatures that had recently shown up.

After a good rest, they were all currently standing in the Kazekage office, debriefing him of the situation in full as Tsunade had stated for them to do.

"You are saying that what has been attacking my people is a blood sucking monster?" Gaara asked. He was currently sitting behind his desk, his elbows propped up on the wood as his hands were clasped together, his chin resting against them in a very similar manor that Tsunade would use.

"In a sense. Saya is one of the Queens, only she has the ability to kill them. We do not know how they got here but they were a big problem where she came from." Kakashi answered from in front of the others. As team leader he did most of the speaking while allowing the others to add details as they saw fit.

"After they are gone, how do we insure they will not return?" Gaara asked after a few minutes of silence, concerned for more lives being lost to them. He eyed the black haired girl in front of him, silently contemplating how strong she actually was. She looked no older than 16 and was incredibly petite.

"We can't, Gaara, but we will track them all down and get rid of them all! Believe it!" Naruto stepped forward, making a fist and holding it up chest height in a determined manor.

"Alright, as soon as you can find them the better. Dismissed." He said before standing up and walking to the door, opening it for them to walk out. Naruto was the last one to leave, lingering behind so he could speak with his old friend while the others decided to go and discuss their next move.

"Tell me, Uzumaki, how strong is that girl?" Gaara asked before Naruto had a chance to say anything. He pushed the door closed so that their conversation would remain silent as he waited for the blond to respond.

"I have seen her fight once before and Sakura watched twice. She is a lot stronger then she looks though. We can defiantly rely on her to kill those damn things." Naruto finally said, his tone reflecting an almost thoughtfulness. Gaara remained silent as he thought before asking a very personal question.

"Do you trust her? I am not talking about Konoha in general, but you alone." His sea foam green eyes staring unrelentingly into Naruto's blue. With a sigh, Naruto answered the best he could.

"After what I saw today, she didn't even hesitate to destroy one of her own kind. She isn't Human, Gaara. She is a chiropteran and she showed that she would rather protect Humans by killing her kind. I trust her." He concluded, his voice still reflecting the same thoughtful manor. Before they left Konoha he hadn't really had a chance to speak with Saya, nor did he really want to. The simple idea of actually drinking blood made him sick but he had to remind himself that she is not like him or his friends. Besides, it's not liked she killed a human to do so. She still eats food and only needs blood to replenish her strength after fighting.

"I will trust your word then, Uzumaki. If you say she is safe to us then I will believe it." He said before reopening the door and stepping out, the blond following him. He wanted to go check on Sakura's progress at their hospital since he noticed she was the only one who didn't attend the meeting. If she managed to save his people, he would be even more grateful then he already was when he found out that she had saved Kankuro when the Akatsuki had taken him.

"Great! Say, where are we going?" Naruto asked as he continued to follow the red head out of the Kazekage tower, his hands laced together behind his head.

"The hospital. I want to see how my people are doing." He replied, looking over his shoulder slightly at his friend.

"Oh ok I will go with you I want to see how Sakura-chan is doing, I'm sure she's exhausted!" Naruto said as he grinned, the aura around them lightening up as the topic changed. As they walked to the hospital they caught up on what they had been doing since they last saw each other.

**_::_**

_'Finally!' _Sakura shouted in her mind as she closed the door to the last room containing her last patient. Ever since she arrived the previous day she had been working non-stop with getting the victims treated and away from the brink of death. She walked a few feet away from the door before she leaned back against the sandy colored wall, her exhaustion catching up with her. She slowly let herself slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest in a loose angle as her arms fell to the floor, lying out beside her. She felt weak, too weak to walk down the hall and find a chair to sit in.

_'I'll just rest here for a minute…' _She said to herself as her eyes slid shut, head tilting to rest forward and to the side against her left shoulder. She didn't even hear the sound of two people approaching her then someone calling her name. She distantly felt herself being lifted off the ground but she just thought it was her body creating the sensations from being over used.

"I guess she's already asleep…" Naruto said in a surprisingly quiet voice as he watched the Kazekage pick up his pink haired teammate. She unconsciously turned towards the warmth of his chest, her head resting against his shoulder lightly.

"There should be an empty room at the end of this hall where she can rest." Gaara offered as he tried to ignore the heat rising in his face from the close contact. He felt like he owed this Kunoichi so much and he couldn't even begin to figure out how to repay the debt.

"Ok let's lay her down." Naruto said as he turned around and began searching for the empty room, oblivious to the new pink tint to his friends face.

It didn't take long for Naruto to find the room; it was at the very end of the hall. Opening the door, he stepped in, choosing not to turn the light on so that Sakura wouldn't wake up and throttle them for disturbing her rest. Gaara followed him in and walked over to the simple hospital bed, lying her down as gently as he could. She groaned in protest as she was taken away from her only source of warmth, eliciting another wave of pink to tint the Kazekage's face. Naruto had found a spare blanket in a closet and draped it over Sakura, watching as she rolled onto her side, her back to them.

"She wore herself out again." Naruto whispered to the red head before turning towards the door and walking out, not noticing that Gaara didn't follow him.

As he watched the woman sleep soundly, he allowed himself a small smile before brushing a stray lock of pink hair off her forehead before leaving the room as well, shutting the door behind him. When he turned around Naruto was grinning at him, arms crossed over his chest.

"She's easy on the eyes, eh Gaara?" Naruto said as his grin widened, finally noticing the pink tint to his friends face.

"Yes she is. Let's check on the patients." Gaara didn't feel the need to lie or even cover up what he had been thinking, but simply agreed and changed the subject, not wanting to discuss the flurry of emotion that had passed through him as he held the woman close to him.

**_::_**

"So where do we even begin to search?" Sai asked as he took a seat at the table near the window. There were four chairs total, Kakashi, Saya and Kai taking up the other three while Hibiki and Kanade sat bounced on one of the two beds in the room, Haji standing in the corner.

"I can feel them as well as Haji. If they are close, we will know about it. The city is large so maybe if we split up into two groups and each takes half of the city then we can cover more ground and flush them out." Saya explained as the plan was formulated in her head. She had enough experience with fighting these things that she trusted their abilities with detecting them before they could do any damage.

"Ok, so who goes with whom?" Kakashi asked as he sat back and thought about her idea.

"Well Haji and I can split up, he can't kill them but he can certainly fight them until I show up. I can detect Haji fighting from a further distance so it would be easy for me to get there." She stated as she folded her hands in her lap, eyes looking at the copy nin.

"Ok, Naruto and Sakura will go with you, Sai and I will go with Haji. Kai, who do you want to go with?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the older orange haired male who had remained relatively silent as he listened to the planning.

"I will go with Saya; it's been a while since I had a chance to fight alongside her." He stated before rubbing his chin in thought. "Hibiki and Kanade will go with you guys, I have been wondering if they could kill the chiropterans like Saya and if you guys are all ok with it, I'd like to try and see if they can. What I'd like to do is lure it out of the city then let the girls try to kill them and before anyone says anything, they have had fighting training. Ever since they were little they have known about their histories and trained for this moment." He explained as all eyes focused on him, the room going silent. Even Hibiki and Kanade stopped bouncing on the bed so they could listen intently to their adopted father.

"I see no problem with it as long as nobody gets hurt in the process. Saya, what do you think?" Kakashi looked over at her, waiting for her opinion on the matter.

"Kai, I will trust you on this, if we can set a trap so they can try and kill it, then we should do it. It would help if we can all eventually separate and try to kill more of them at once instead of traveling slowly in one big group." She said as she looked over at Haji, watching him nod once, letting her know he agreed with her.

"Then it's settled. As soon as Naruto and Saya are prepared we will set out."

**_::_**

**_Outside the gates of Suna_**

The raven haired Uchiha remained hidden behind a group of rocks so that the scouts of Suna wouldn't see him. He had been trailing his ex-teammates since they left Konoha, wanting to find out what they had to do with the recent discovery of blood sucking creatures that started popping up all over the Shinobi nations.

He decided to leave his team behind since they would be more of a hindrance to his intelligence gathering. Karin wasn't pleased with being left behind but he simply ignored her protests before vanishing from their hidden base.

The scene from the day before kept playing in his head. The black haired young girl he had never seen before had easily killed one of the beasts that even he found impossible to destroy. He couldn't figure out how such a weak looking girl could make short business of it but he was here to find out why. He wouldn't leave without an answer. He remembered how she sliced through the creature's neck, decapitating it before it turned to stone then disintegrated beneath her. There had to be a reason as to why she could kill so easily. He also wanted to know why Konoha of all people were the ones to possess her.

The sun bore down on him as he tried his best to stay in the vanishing shade while he waited for another opportunity to gather more information. Waiting was all he could do at this point.

**_::_**

**_Hospital_**

Sakura awoke form her rather restful sleep. As the world began to come back to her, she realized a few things. First, she was not asleep in the hallway, which was her last memory before falling unconscious. Second, she was covered in a rather warm blanket. That meant that someone had found her and placed her in bed.

Her eyes cracked open slowly before she let out a long yawn. She still felt tired but she was rested enough to go on about her day.

_'I wonder how long I have been asleep.' _She asked herself as she sat up in bed, recognizing the style of room she was in. She was still at the hospital.

After a few moments of just sitting and looking around the room, she slid her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching her muscles before walking to the door. As she peered out into the hall she realized it was empty so she stepped out and walked towards the door nearby that would lead her to the main entrance.

"Oh, Haruno-san, Lord Kazekage was here and said that once you woke you could leave. Your team wants to see you." The lady at the front desk said as Sakura walked past. She simply nodded before walking out of the hospital deep in thought.

_'Was Gaara the one who put me in bed?' _She asked herself as she walked down the road towards the inn that her team was staying at. By the look of the suns position, she guessed it to be around midafternoon.

"Sakura-chan! I was just coming to get you, good timing eh?" Naruto's voice boomed across the street causing her to snap out of her thoughts and watch as the blond bounded towards her. She offered him a tired smile.

"Yea, what's up?" She asked as he fell into place next to her, walking with her back to the inn.

"Kakashi-sensei and Saya have formed a plan and they want to set out as soon as possible." He responded as he laced his fingers behind his head, looking up at the sky.

"Oh, ok." She inwardly groaned at having to do more work. What she really wanted to do was find a bathhouse and soak but she knew she couldn't do that right now. They were on a mission after all.

They fell into a silence as they made their way back to the inn, soon finding themselves in the room where everyone else was. They greeted the pinkette before explaining what they had discussed to her.

"So you and Naruto will go with Kai and Saya while Sai and I go with Haji, Hibiki and Kanade. If you come across a chiropteran before we do try to take it out as far as you can away from the city. I will have Pakkun go with you so if you need to find us, send him. The same goes for us, I will send another one of my dogs to alert you if we find one." He explained last before they left the room.

Once they were all outside, they broke off into their groups and went in the designated directions in search of their target.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 10_**

_I hope you guys liked it, I decided to add the Gaa/Saku fluff to lighten the mood :3 Review~_


	11. Chapter 11 - Testing Theories

_Guess who's back from hibernation?! _

**_Chapter 11 – Testing Theories_**

**_::_**

**_Naruto, Sakura, Saya & Kai_**

"So how exactly do we find one of those chiropterans anyway?" Naruto asked after they had been searching their part of the village for the past half hour. As he walked he laced his hands together behind his head in the typical fashion. Sakura rolled her eyes visibly beside him but chose not to hit him.

"I can sense them if they are in the area kind of like smelling and hearing them." Saya explained as she unzipped her long jacket and took it off, draping it over her arm. It was incredibly hot in Suna; she should have left her jacket in her room.

Sakura let out a light yawn that she covered with her hand before rubbing her eyes. She rested just enough to regain her strength but once they were done for the day all she wanted to do was collapse into her bed and sleep.

Pakkun was walking between Naruto and Saya, choosing to remain silent for the time being but when a breeze flowed past them he caught the scent of something he didn't expect. He turned his head up to look at the pink haired Kunoichi before voicing his question.

"Sakura when did you change your shampoo?" The pinkette looked at him, eyebrow raised slightly. It took her a moment to realize what he was referring to but when it came to her a blush spread across her face.

"I needed a change!" She said quickly as she tried to offer a smile, though she knew she had been caught. Inwardly the idea of sharing the same scent as a dog was horrifying, who would ever want to admit that?

"Heh, if you say so." Pakkun scoffed but remained otherwise silent on that subject. Sakura had no idea that their short conversation had drawn so much attention until she looked over at Saya and Kai, noticing their curious expressions, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. Naruto as always, knowing what they were referring to figured it was a good idea to inform the two about it.

"She was just upset that she used the same shampoo as a dog." He grinned widely as he scratched the back of his neck, ignoring the death glare that Sakura had just shot his way.

"That's pretty funny!" Kai commented, not making the situation any better. Sakura huffed and began to walk ahead, her arms crossed tensely over her chest.

"Maybe you guys should stop embarrassing her." Saya finally spoke as she noticed that the pink haired woman was looking rather upset at that attention.

_'Damn Pakkun, damn Naruto, damn Kai, damn Shampoo, damn Kakashi, damn pink hair…' _Sakura ranted inwardly as she did her best to keep distance from herself and the guys but her grumbling was cut short when she felt a soft hand touch her elbow.

"Don't let them get to you, Sakura. They are just being stupid, I remember the teasing I would get after I first came to live with Kai, Riku and dad. He was a lot more immature back than and he has grown up but I think being around Naruto he has reverted." Saya shot a disapproving look over her shoulder at her adopted brother before turning her attention back to the pinkette.

"You're right, Saya, they are probably just bored and need an outlet but I'd prefer if it wasn't me." Sakura let out a sigh as she unfolded her arms from around her chest, letting her arms fall to her sides. When she looked back at the dark haired woman she couldn't help but return the smile that Saya was giving her.

She had heard a lot of things about Saya in the short amount of time that she had been given the mission to retrieve her, mainly that she could be dangerous and unpredictable but she didn't see that in the woman at all. She was feeling a little more at ease with traveling alongside the strange foreigners.

Saya was about to say something else but the popping sound of another canine summon appearing quickly put an end to their light conversation.

"Bull! What news do you bring?" Pakkun asked his stance before the larger dog tense as if he already knew what was going to be said, than again they could all guess what it was.

"Kakashi and the others have come across one of those creatures; they are near the south boarder of the village. They have cornered it; you guys need to get there quickly." With that Bull vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving the others who wordlessly nodded at each other before running off quickly towards the opposite side of the village as fast as they could.

**_::_**

**_Kakashi, Sai, Haji, Hibiki & Kanade_**

Kakashi and Haji continued to throw an array of daggers and kunai at the cornered chiropteran. Unfortunately for them they had no way of leading it out of Suna without endangering the citizens so this would have to be taken care of right where they had pinned it.

"Haji now would be a great time to tell us how Hibiki and Kanade are supposed to kill this thing." Kakashi lamented as he aimed another volley of kunai at the chiropteran, eliciting an annoyed shriek from the creature. He watched as one of his kunai sank into the right eye, half blinding it only for it to be pushed right back out and another eye to grow in its place.

"They will need to stab it with their blood." The Chevalier replied simply, aiming another dagger at the beast. The twins stood back several feet watching as the two men continued a fruitless battle against the horrifying thing, no attack lasting beyond mere seconds before it healed itself.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto's voice broke through the snarls of the beast as the other group showed up, much to Kakashi's relief.

"Finally the cavalry has arrived." He said as he jumped back and allowed Saya to take his place, unsheathing her sword in the process. Almost instantaneously her irises changed to glowing red as her fighting instinct kicked in.

"Hibiki! Kanade! Come here." Saya ordered, her tone demonstrating the authority she possessed in these situations. Both girls looked at each other with uncertainty before they stepped forward and looked at Saya questioningly.

"We need to test your blood on this chiropteran to see if it works to kill them. Hold out your hands." Saya stepped closer to them and held out her unoccupied hand towards her Chevalier expectantly. Without uttering a word he placed two of his daggers into her hand before returning his attention back to the beast.

Saya rearranged her sword so that it now was held in her left hand, before placing one dagger in her mouth between her teeth and held the second in her right hand. Without a word of warning she brought the tip of the dagger down onto Kanade's palm and pressed it deep into her flesh, dragging a long cut across her skin, eliciting a cry of shock mixed with pain that went unnoticed. Kanade looked down at her abused hand and watched as her aunt began to coat each side with her blood thoroughly before placing the hilt of the dagger into Kanade's uninjured hand and moved over to Hibiki repeating the process.

When both daggers had been coated in their blood Saya moved away from them and narrowed her eyes at the chiropteran before nodding once at Haji and running straight at it. Haji sent his Cello case soaring through the air, aimed directly at the chiropteran's head where it connected, stunning it momentarily but just enough for Saya to deliver a normally fatal blow.

She swung her blade at the beast's abdomen, embedding it deep within its flesh but didn't stop when she felt resistance from its bones. She continued to drive her blade in further until it finally broke through on the other side, effectively severing the beast in half.

Blood began to flow out of the chiropteran as its upper half slid off its lower, landing in the sand with a sickening thud but she knew it wasn't over. She had not laced her blood with the blade so she had merely made it immobile, but it was enough so that they could now test their theories without risking anyone.

"Do it now!" Saya ordered as she stepped back and looked at the two girls who had mirrored looks of horror and awe on their faces. Slowly they took tentative steps closer to the howling and twitching beast, grimacing as they stepped into the pools of blood that were forming around it.

Hibiki raised the dagger up, blade pointing down at the beast before bringing it down, embedding it deep within the creature's thigh. Kanade soon followed, burying hers within its chest, eliciting a shriek of pain before both severed pieces began to twitch madly, and soon followed by its flesh turning into what appeared to be stone than cracked open revealing crystalized red.

Within moments it had ceased twitching and now lay motionless as if it were a stature that had fallen over.

Hibiki was the first to take a step back, turning towards the others who just contemplated what they had witnessed.

"Looks like it worked." Kakashi commented as his stance relaxed, reaching behind his head and scratching his neck.

"It appears that all Queen blood affects each other's negatively. David will be interested to know this." Kai stated as he walked towards his adopted daughters and led them away from the gruesome scene. As he walked past Saya, their eyes locked in an unspoken understanding before leading them back the way they had come.

"Well that was anti-climactic…" Naruto grumbled as he reluctantly followed after Kai but halted when he looked up at Sakura. She was staring at him, her mouth open slightly as if she had seen a ghost. His brows drew together in concern as he walked over to her. "What's wrong Sakura-chan?"

"You… you used a big word! I didn't know you even _knew _that word!"

The group stood still at her declaration, the tension between them weighing heavily before Sai appeared next to them, draping his arms over their shoulders.

"He may know a big word, Ugly, but he is still Dickless." The instant the insult left Sai's mouth both Sakura and Naruto punched him in the back of his head sending him several feet away, leaving a fuming Naruto and a red faced Sakura in his wake.

"I am NOT dickless!" Naruto shouted in Sai's direction before he stalked off after Kai, followed soon by Sakura while she grumbled about Sai's very unflattering nickname for her.

Kakashi just shook his head and produced his latest Icha Icha while Saya and Haji walked side by side, sharing confused glances with each other.

**_::_**

**_End Chapter 11_**

_Ok so I know it's not the greatest chapter of all time but I have been hideously stuck on this and just wanted to get it over and done with so I can proceed with more exciting things. This chapter was a necessary evil I guess you could say because it we found out that Hibiki and Kanade do not share Diva's blood, they each have their own._

_So it's short, I'm sorry, it's like 4am now and my back is killing me. I have been at this chapter now forever. I guess this also means that Queen and Nine Tails is no longer on Hiatus, I am back and ready to carry on! Woo hoo! Anyways reviews are nice but please refrain from asking about the same crap that made me almost delete this story, in Shikamaru's words "it's a drag…" _


End file.
